Here is What to Know Beyond Why Southern Company (The) (SO) is a Trending Stock

Core Viewpoint - Southern Co. has shown a positive stock performance recently, outperforming the S&P 500 composite and the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry, raising questions about its near-term stock trajectory [1] Earnings Estimates Revisions - Southern Co. is projected to post earnings of $1.48 per share for the current quarter, reflecting a year-over-year increase of +3.5% and an 8.6% upward revision in the Zacks Consensus Estimate over the last 30 days [4] - The consensus earnings estimate for the current fiscal year stands at $4.28, indicating a +5.7% year-over-year change, with a slight decrease of -0.2% in the estimate over the past month [4] - For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate is $4.59, representing a +7.3% change from the previous year, with a minor increase of +0.2% in the estimate over the past month [5] Revenue Growth Projections - The consensus sales estimate for the current quarter is $7.49 billion, indicating a year-over-year change of +3% [10] - For the current fiscal year, the revenue estimate is $28.42 billion, reflecting a +6.4% change, while the next fiscal year's estimate of $29.75 billion indicates a +4.7% change [10] Last Reported Results and Surprise History - In the last reported quarter, Southern Co. achieved revenues of $6.97 billion, a year-over-year increase of +7.9%, and an EPS of $0.91, down from $1.09 a year ago [11] - The reported revenues exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.56 billion by +6.24%, and the EPS surprise was +4.6% [11] - Over the last four quarters, Southern Co. has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times and topped revenue estimates each time [12] Valuation - Southern Co. is graded D on the Zacks Value Style Score, indicating it is trading at a premium compared to its peers [16] - Valuation multiples such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF) are essential for assessing whether the stock is overvalued, fairly valued, or undervalued [14][15] Bottom Line - The Zacks Rank 3 suggests that Southern Co. may perform in line with the broader market in the near term, despite the market buzz surrounding the company [17]