My recent bank coverage has mostly focused on names I think will hold up relatively well in a downturn. Today, I want to present another candidate for consideration, Southern Missouri Bancorp (NASDAQ: SMBC ). This isI like to take a long term, buy-and-hold approach to investing, with a bias toward stocks that can sustainably post high quality earnings. Mostly found in the dividend and income section. Blog about various US/Canadian stocks at 'The Compound Investor', and predominantly UK names on 'The UK Inco ...

Core Viewpoint - Despite market volatility in 2025, certain stable companies have provided solid returns, distinguishing themselves from high-growth tech stocks and offering safety and performance to investors [1] Group 1: Southern Company (SO) - Southern Company has shown impressive strength in 2025, with a year-to-date increase of approximately 11%, while the S&P 500 is down nearly 7% [2] - The company has a market capitalization of nearly $100 billion and is the second-largest holding in the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund, benefiting from strong inflows as investors seek stability [3] - Southern Company offers a dividend yield of 3.16% and is trading above its 200-day moving average, indicating a bullish trend [4] Group 2: Coca-Cola Company (KO) - Coca-Cola has seen a nearly 17% increase in shares year-to-date, outperforming the broader market and the consumer staples sector [6] - The company has attracted significant institutional support, with inflows totaling nearly $18 billion over the past 12 months, reflecting a demand for safety and yield [7] - Analysts maintain a consensus Buy rating for Coca-Cola, with an average price target of $75.06, indicating potential upside [8] Group 3: Verizon Communications (VZ) - Verizon has outperformed the S&P 500 with a 7% increase year-to-date and offers a substantial dividend yield of 6.3% [10] - The company reported strong Q1 2025 results, with an EPS of $1.19 and revenue of $33.5 billion, reaffirming its full-year guidance [11] - Verizon has a history of increasing dividends for 20 consecutive years and continues to generate strong free cash flow, making it attractive for long-term investors [12]

Core Insights - Venessa Harrison has been appointed to the board of Southern Company Gas, bringing her extensive experience in expanding critical infrastructure and shaping public policy [3] - Southern Company Gas serves approximately 4.4 million natural gas utility customers across several states and has a diverse portfolio including regulated distribution and nonutility businesses [5] Group 1: Leadership and Experience - Harrison has overseen nearly $2 billion in annual network spending, which has significantly expanded AT&T's fiber and wireless networks in Georgia [1] - She led the development of the North Carolina Next Generation Network (NCNGN), which has become a model for broadband expansion in other states [2] - Harrison holds a business administration degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Phoenix [4] Group 2: Company Overview - Southern Company Gas is a subsidiary of Southern Company, a leading energy provider in the U.S. [5] - The company operates regulated distribution companies in Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee, and Virginia, serving millions of customers [5] - Southern Company Gas also engages in nonutility businesses, including investments in interstate pipelines and natural gas storage facilities [5]

Core Insights - Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) reported first-quarter 2025 earnings of $2.69 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.72, but showing an 8% year-over-year increase due to lower costs [1] - Railway operating revenues were $2.99 billion, nearly in line with estimates, but decreased by 0.4% year over year [1] Financial Performance - Overall volumes increased by 1% year over year, while total revenue per unit dipped by 2% [2] - Income from railway operations rose over 100% year over year to $1.15 billion, and railway operating expenses declined by 34% to $1.85 billion, primarily due to a significant decrease in fuel expenses [2] Management Commentary - NSC's CEO, Mark George, highlighted the company's resilience in overcoming challenges from a disruptive winter storm season, resulting in improved operating ratios and earnings growth [3] Segmental Performance - Merchandise revenues remained flat year over year at $1.86 billion, below the estimate of $1.91 billion, with revenue per unit increasing by 2% [5] - Intermodal revenues rose by 2% year over year to $760 million, although below the projection of $778.2 million, with segmental volumes increasing by 3% but revenue per unit declining by 1% [5] - Coal revenues were $370 million, down 7% year over year, but exceeded the projection of $347.1 million, with coal volumes falling by 1% and revenue per unit declining by 5% [6] Liquidity and Share Buyback - At the end of the first quarter, NSC had cash and cash equivalents of $1.01 billion, down from $1.64 billion in the previous quarter, with long-term debt remaining flat at $16.6 billion [7] - The company repurchased and retired 1 million shares for $250 million during the first quarter [7] 2025 Guidance - For 2025, NSC anticipates revenue growth of 3% and a 150 basis points improvement in the operating ratio, with capital expenditure expected to be around $2.20 billion [8]

Core Insights - Norfolk Southern Corporation reported a first quarter 2025 revenue of $3.0 billion, with an adjusted net income growth of 8% despite weather-related disruptions [1][7] - The company reiterated its full-year guidance while acknowledging macro-economic uncertainties [1] Financial Performance - Railway operating revenues were $3.0 billion, a decrease of $11 million compared to Q1 2024; excluding fuel surcharge revenue, revenues were $2.8 billion, an increase of $47 million or 2% year-over-year [7] - Income from railway operations was $1.1 billion, an increase of $933 million compared to Q1 2024; adjusted for the Eastern Ohio incident, it was $961 million, up $57 million or 6% [7][10] - The operating ratio improved to 61.7% from 92.9% in Q1 2024; adjusted for the Eastern Ohio incident, the operating ratio was 67.9%, representing a 200 basis points improvement from 69.9% in Q1 2024 [7][11] - Diluted earnings per share were $3.31, up from $0.23 in Q1 2024; adjusted for the Eastern Ohio incident, diluted EPS was $2.69, an increase of $0.20 or 8% [7][12] Operational Highlights - The company demonstrated resilience in overcoming a disruptive winter storm season, leading to improved operating ratios and earnings growth [3] - Norfolk Southern's service performance has increased customer confidence, allowing the company to gain market share [3] Company Overview - Norfolk Southern operates a 22-state freight transportation network and has been in operation since 1827, contributing to the U.S. economy by moving goods and materials [5] - The company helps customers avoid approximately 15 million tons of carbon emissions annually by utilizing rail transport [5]

Core Viewpoint - Southern Michigan Bancorp, Inc. reported a solid financial performance for the first quarter of 2025, with significant increases in net income, loans, deposits, and total assets compared to the previous year [1][2]. Financial Performance - The net income for Q1 2025 was $3,046,000, or $0.66 per share, representing a 13.7% increase from $2,678,000, or $0.59 per share in Q1 2024 [1][9]. - The annualized return on average assets improved to 0.79% in Q1 2025 from 0.73% in Q1 2024, while the annualized return on average equity rose to 11.11% from 10.80% [3]. - The tax equivalent net interest margin increased to 3.08% in Q1 2025, up from 2.95% in the same period of 2024 [3]. Credit Quality - The allowance for credit losses was $12,780,000, or 1.12% of loans as of March 31, 2025, with net loan charge-offs of only $2,000 compared to $10,000 in Q1 2024 [2]. - Non-performing loans as a percentage of total loans decreased to 0.06% as of March 31, 2025, down from 0.08% as of December 31, 2024 [2]. Asset and Liability Overview - Total assets reached $1,562,904,000 as of March 31, 2025, compared to $1,496,555,000 at the end of 2024 [6][7]. - Total deposits increased to $1,315,342,000 from $1,251,795,000 over the same period [6][7]. Income Statement Highlights - Total interest income for Q1 2025 was $19,500,000, up from $18,507,000 in Q1 2024, while total interest expense rose slightly to $8,587,000 from $8,446,000 [8][9]. - Net interest income after provision for credit losses was $10,749,000, compared to $10,061,000 in the previous year [8][9]. - Non-interest income increased to $2,368,000 from $1,981,000 year-over-year [8][9].

Core Viewpoint - Southern Cross Gold Consolidated Ltd has reported significant drilling results from the Apollo prospect at the Sunday Creek gold-antimony project, indicating high-grade mineralization and the potential for expanded mining operations. Group 1: Drilling Results - Drill hole SDDSC158 returned 100.5 m at 3.1 g/t gold, including high-grade sections of 28.6 m at 10.3 g/t gold and 1.4 m at 142.2 g/t gold, demonstrating substantial mineralized widths and high-grade extensions at depth [2][3][5] - The cumulative mineralized corridor from SDDSC158 was 240 m downhole, with significant intercepts indicating the potential for selective bulk mining methods alongside narrower high-grade mining [3][10][15] Group 2: Geological Insights - The Apollo prospect shows significant grade improvement at depth, consistent with patterns observed in the adjacent Rising Sun area, typical of epizonal gold-antimony deposits [5][6][34] - Mineralization was intercepted at depths of 400 m to 700 m below the surface, representing an 80 m to 120 m down dip extension of high-grade mineralized domains [7][9][19] Group 3: Project Expansion and Future Plans - The project has a total of 63 intersections exceeding 100 g/t AuEq, reinforcing its status as a globally significant gold-antimony discovery [8][21] - Twenty additional drill holes are currently being processed, with seven actively being drilled, indicating ongoing exploration and systematic expansion of the mineralized footprint [4][18][35] Group 4: Strategic Importance of Antimony - Antimony represents approximately 21% to 24% of the in situ recoverable value at Sunday Creek, highlighting its significance alongside gold [30][34] - Recent export limits imposed by China on antimony products may enhance the strategic value of Sunday Creek as a potential key supplier to Western markets [31][34]

This week, Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC ) will report its Q1 earnings, and we will have the full picture of what is going on with freight transportation on the East Coast. CSX Corporation (I focus on long term growth and dividend growth investing. I follow both the US and the European stock markets, looking for undervalued stock and/or for high quality dividend growing companies that provide me with cash to reinvest. Over time, I have come to realize that profitability is a much safer driver of g ...

Core Insights - Southern First Bancshares, Inc. reported strong financial results for Q1 2025, highlighting exceptional loan and deposit growth, solid margin expansion, and excellent asset quality [2][5][21] - The company is well-positioned for potential economic uncertainties and is focused on increasing profitability while supporting community initiatives [2][5] Financial Performance - Net income for Q1 2025 was $5.3 million, or $0.65 per diluted share, representing a 109% increase compared to Q1 2024 [5][6] - Total revenue reached $26.5 million, up from $21.3 million in Q1 2024, driven by increased net interest income and noninterest income [3][5] - Net interest margin improved to 2.41%, compared to 1.94% in Q1 2024 [5][11] Loan and Deposit Growth - Total loans increased to $3.7 billion, reflecting a 6% annualized growth over Q4 2024 [5][19] - Core deposits rose to $2.8 billion, marking a 23% annualized increase from Q4 2024 [5][19] Asset Quality - Nonperforming assets represented 0.26% of total assets, a slight decrease from 0.27% in Q4 2024 [15][16] - The allowance for credit losses was $40.7 million, or 1.10% of total loans, consistent with previous quarters [16][19] Noninterest Income and Expenses - Noninterest income totaled $3.1 million, up from $2.7 million in Q1 2024, with mortgage banking income being the largest component [8][9] - Noninterest expenses increased to $18.8 million, driven by higher compensation and benefits [9][10] Capital Ratios - The total risk-based capital ratio stood at 12.69%, indicating strong capital adequacy [3][14] - The tangible common equity ratio was reported at 7.88% [5][14]

ATLANTA, April 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Company today announced it is increasing its dividend by 8 cents per share on an annualized basis to a rate of $2.96 per share.This marks the 77th consecutive year that Southern Company has paid a dividend on its common stock that is equal to or greater than the previous quarter. Additionally, this is the 24th consecutive year the company has raised its dividend.Southern Company also announced a regular quarterly dividend – including an increase of 2 cents pe ...