Southern (SO) Q4 Earnings Miss, Electricity Sales Increase

Core Insights - Southern Company reported fourth-quarter 2024 earnings per share of 50 cents, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by one cent and declining from the previous year's adjusted profit of 64 cents due to increased expenses [1] - The company achieved revenues of $6.3 billion, a 4.9$6.2 billion, driven by higher electricity sales and favorable weather [2] - Southern Company guided earnings per share for the current year between $4.20 and$4.30, maintaining a long-term EPS growth rate projection of 5-7% [2] Sales Performance - Wholesale power sales increased by 2.5%, with retail electricity demand also rising, leading to a total electricity sales increase of 2.7% year-over-year [3] - Total retail sales rose by 2.8%, with residential, commercial, and industrial sales increasing by 1.9%, 4.4%, and 2%, respectively [3] Expense Overview - Operations and maintenance costs rose by 14.6% year-over-year to $2 billion, contributing to a total operating expense of$5.3 billion, which was a 9.2% increase from the prior year and exceeded estimates [4]