Core Viewpoint - The Southern Company is recognized as one of the best high dividend stocks to buy under $100, highlighting its strong dividend resilience and growth potential [1][2]. Group 1: Financial Performance and Plans - The Southern Company has increased its five-year base capital plan by $13 billion, raising the total to $76 billion [2]. - The company is reviewing approximately 10 gigawatts (GW) of new generation requests as of the second quarter of 2025 [2]. Group 2: Market Demand and Strategy - The Southern Company has a pipeline exceeding 50 GW of potential customer load, driven by strong demand from hyperscale clients and data centers in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi [3]. - The company emphasizes a focus on disciplined, risk-adjusted contract structures to protect customer benefits while maintaining financial flexibility [3]. Group 3: Dividend History and Yield - The Southern Company offers a quarterly dividend of $0.74 per share, having increased it by 2.8% in April 2025, marking the 24th consecutive year of dividend growth [4]. - The company has paid regular dividends for the past 78 years, with a current dividend yield of 3.24% as of September 18 [4].

Financial Performance & Growth - NiSource reaffirmed its 2025 adjusted EPS guidance of $1.85-$1.89[12] - The company projects an annual adjusted EPS growth of 6%-8% from 2025-2029[9, 12] - NiSource anticipates an 8%-10% rate base growth from 2025-2029[9] - The company is targeting a 14%-16% annual FFO/Debt through 2029[9, 12] - NiSource reported Q1 2025 GAAP net income available to common shareholders of $474.8 million, compared to $344.3 million in Q1 2024, an increase of $130.5 million[26] - Adjusted net income available to common shareholders for Q1 2025 was $462.3 million, up from $382.8 million in Q1 2024, representing a $79.5 million increase[26] - Adjusted earnings per share for Q1 2025 was $0.98, compared to $0.85 in Q1 2024, a $0.13 increase[26] Capital Investments & Funding - NiSource plans a base plan capital investment of $19.4 billion from 2025-2029[9, 12] - The company has an upside 5-year capital opportunity of $2.2 billion from 2025-2029, which is not included in the base plan[29] - The capital investment funding sources are projected to be 50%-55% from cash from operations, 35%-40% from net new debt, 6%-8% from equity, and 3%-5% from minority interest contribution[31] Strategic Initiatives - NiSource aims to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2040[9, 58] - The company is focused on building a constructive regulatory foundation, including rate case filings and approvals in various states[12, 19] - NiSource is prioritizing operational excellence through AI utilization and continuous improvement initiatives[12, 16]