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Southern Co. (SO) Laps the Stock Market: Here's Why

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Southern Co. (SO - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $85.44, demonstrating a +1.97% change from the preceding day's closing price. This move outpaced the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.58%. At the same time, the Dow added 0.49%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.45%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the power company had lost 4.9% was narrower than the Utilities sector's loss of 5.94% and lagged the S&P 500's gain of 0.84%.

The upcoming earnings release of Southern Co. will be of great interest to investors. The company's earnings report is expected on November 5, 2026. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $1.65, indicating a 3.13% growth compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $8.34 billion, up 6.56% from the year-ago period.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $4.59 per share and a revenue of $31.04 billion, demonstrating changes of +6.74% and +5.02%, respectively, from the preceding year.

Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Southern Co. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.

Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, there's been no change in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Southern Co. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Investors should also note Southern Co.'s current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 18.25. This valuation marks a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 16.68.

It's also important to note that SO currently trades at a PEG ratio of 2.23. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. The Utility - Electric Power was holding an average PEG ratio of 2.46 at yesterday's closing price.

The Utility - Electric Power industry is part of the Utilities sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 112, placing it within the top 46% of over 250 industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the strength of our separate industry groups by calculating the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks contained within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.

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