Fact based stock research
Southern (NYSE:SO)

US8425871071

How to read the free ranks

For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".

Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".

Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.

Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.

(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).

(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.

Southern stock research in summary

southerncompany.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 1 (worse than 99% compared with investment alternatives), Southern (Electric Utilities, USA) shares have lower financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Southern are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 11 (worse than 89% of alternatives), show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 15), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 46), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 1, is a sell recommendation based on Southern's financial characteristics. As the company Southern's key financial metrics all exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 11), low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 15), and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 46), it is a somewhat questionable stock investment, where the risk of paying too much for the shares is significant, unless the company has an exceptionally bright future. Such poor financial performance sometimes indicates that the company's business is all concentrated in some distant future. This is sometimes the case for high-tech or biotechnology companies. If they own properties that only provide cash flows in the future, the stock may look excessively expensive and risky today. In such cases, the Obermatt Method has limited value as it is based on facts we can observe today. If the facts are all in the future, stock investing becomes guesswork, and this should only be a driver in a limited number of investments that should only amount to a small fraction of a safe portfolio. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more

Latest Obermatt Ranks


360° View^new
Sentiment Rank^new
Value Rank	11
Growth Rank	15
Safety Rank	46
Combined Rank	1

Country	USA
Industry	Electric Utilities
Index	Low Emissions, Nuclear, S&P 500
Size class	Large

31-Jul-2025. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.

Further information

Multiple opinions. One number.

Analysts rarely agree on a stock’s future. So, who do you believe? Obermatt translates those collective views into a single Sentiment Rank. That plus the financial ranks give you the ultimate 360° View. Sign up to access them.

Why popular stocks have low ratings

It’s easier said than done. When your stock drops, it’s easy to want to sell it and find a better performer. Think twice, or even three times, before trading. Those fees (especially the hidden ones) can eat up your gains.

Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.

Research History: Southern

RESEARCH HISTORY	2022	2023	2024	2025
VALUE
VALUE	51	14	13	11
GROWTH
GROWTH	37	43	53	15
SAFETY
SAFETY	44	54	47	46
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	9	44	67	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	9	18	32	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 31-Jul-2025. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 31-Mar-2025. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better Southern is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2022	2023	2024	2025
VALUE
VALUE	51	14	13	11
GROWTH
GROWTH	37	43	53	15
SAFETY
SAFETY	44	54	47	46
COMBINED
COMBINED	38	18	21	1

Last update of combined financial performance: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of Southern the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 11 (worse than 89% compared with alternatives), Southern shares are significantly more expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all four indicators below average for Southern. Price-to-Sales is 16 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 84% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Southern's sales levels. Price-to-Book Capital (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) also has a low Price-to-Book Rank of 11, which means that both reliable company size indicators, sales, and invested capital cannot explain the high stock price of Southern. In addition, the two profit-related value indicators, Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a low rank of 13 and Dividend Yield, which is lower than 61% of comparable companies, also make the stock more expensive compared with investment alternatives. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 11, is a sell recommendation based on Southern's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. How can market participants pay such a high price for Southern? One reason may be that the company is simply too popular. If enough people want a particular stock, its price can exceed reasonable levels. This is often the case for companies offering new and exciting products and everybody wants a piece of the action. Should you pay a lot for a hot stock such as Southern? It's risky, and even if the stock price continues to grow because of popular demand, it may return to more typical lower levels later. And that return can be sudden and quick, making it impossible for retail investors to exit on time. Sometimes, high prices are deserved. This is the case when it is justified to believe that the company will dominate a market with high profit margins. It has happened in the past for many technology companies and indeed for commercially successful pharmaceutical discoveries. Sometimes they last, sometimes, they get eaten alive. Southern may be such a type of stock. That would mean, retail investors should be careful, only considering investing a small part of their wealth in this exciting category and always being ready to lose more than half, if not all of the investment. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision, which is essential in this case, as the financial indicators are inconclusive. ...read more

VALUE METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)	38	21	13	16
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	49	25	22	13
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	31	13	9	11
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	65	48	41	39
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	51	14	13	11

Last update of Value Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of Southern; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 15 (better than 15% compared with alternatives), Southern shows one of the most restricted growth dynamics in its industry. There is little momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Southern. Sales Growth has a below market rank of 40, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 60% of its competitors. The same is valid for Capital Growth, with a rank of 4, and Profit Growth, with a rank of 40. Currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 60% of its competitors). Only shareholders are optimistic. Stock Returns are above average at a rank of 55, which means that the stock returns have recently been above 55% of alternative investments. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 15, is a sell recommendation for growth and momentum investors. That picture may be the result for a company that has reached the bottom. All went south for Southern, and it still looks bad, but some investors already see light at the end of the tunnel, rewarding the stock with recent above-market stock returns. It could also mean that investors are correcting an overreaction to negative news. If that were the case, the positive stock returns are not yet a sign of recovery. Investors should look closely at the Value and Sentiment indicators before they make a stock purchasing decision, because growth is unlikely to be the driving argument behind this investment. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is low here. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	47	38	16	40
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	32	32	80	40
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	17	35	43	4
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	73	89	73	55
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	37	43	53	15

Last update of Growth Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of Southern.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 46 (better than 46% compared with alternatives), the company Southern has financing practices on the riskier side, which means that their overall debt burden is above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of Southern is also risky, it only means that the company is on the riskier side in respect to bankruptcy in case things turn sour, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with two out of three indicators above-average for Southern. Refinancing is at 62, meaning the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 62% of its competitors. Liquidity is also good at 58, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 58% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is safer when it comes to debt service. However, Leverage is rather large at 24, which means the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 76% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 46 (worse than 54% compared with alternatives), Southern has a financing structure that is riskier than that of its competitors. This is not bad if things go well. The higher debt level means better returns to shareholders if things go well. Many top-performing companies operate with higher debt levels, and Southern could be in that group. But if you expect the environment to turn rougher, the higher leverage could become a problem. The same is valid if you expect interest rates to rise. That could squeeze shareholder returns, which so far have benefitted from better conditions. In the long-term, investors may have a debt challenge with Southern and should also compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before making a decision. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	26	30	28	24
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	62	58	75	62
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	55	57	43	58
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	44	54	47	46

Last update of Safety Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of Southern and the more cash is available to service its debt.

Sentiment Metrics in Detail

SENTIMENT	2022	2023	2024	2025
ANALYST OPINIONS
ANALYST OPINIONS	n/a	61	28	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	50	36	68	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	27	80	67	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	36	23	72	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	9	44	67	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for Southern.
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