The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 3% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 9%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 9%. The street (19 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $102. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
Southern Company SO
Outside both standards
An entry written while the outcome is still unknown. It will be scored by what the market does next, and it will never be edited to look cleverer than it was.
In plain words · The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the sale of electricity.
read at $93.10
Southern Company holds its Distribution at $93.10.
- PHPhase · the trend structure carries the Distribution label
- INInsiders · no filings inside 60 days, left as found
- POPositioning · no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
- OPOptions · no verdict drawn today, left as found
- SCScreen · does not pass the values gate
- edge confirmed
- edge broken
- edge forming
Each arm is one independent read. Conviction is not a single call, it is how many edges converge.
The investor read · the season, not the day
| Phase | Distribution · caution |
| Quantitative state | The statistical read favours the buyers, held for 2 days |
| Price | $93.10 |
| Valuation | 22.43 trailing · 18.91 forward price to earnings |
| Values screen | FAIL · score 10.0 |
| Beta | 0.33 |
The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth
Our framework reads AVOID — it trades above our $87.43 fair value estimate, moderate competitive moat, 0.10% revenue growth.
Price history & projections · where it has been, where the models see it going
The valuation journey · where the price sits against fair value and the Street
Green marks levels above today's price, red below; the shaded band is the gap between the price and our fair value.
Reading the gap · Our more conservative model reads it as fully-to-richly valued here, while the Street is more bullish — a quality-at-a-fair-price name rather than a deep-value one.
| Revenue growth | 0.10% |
| Profit margin | 15.44% |
| Debt to equity | 182.06 |
| Analyst consensus | Hold · 19 covering |
Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; target range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.
The values screen, explained · five checks, plain English
This company is excluded by both standards. There are two widely recognised ways to check whether a company is suitable for a Muslim investor. It fails on both:
Used by most halal investing apps ✗ DOES NOT PASS
The one Titan applies ✗ DOES NOT PASS
Why it fails. The problem is its debt ratio. Because both standards agree on this, it is a clear exclusion, not a borderline case.
What these two standards are, and how they differ →
- Business activity Its core business isn't built on prohibited lines — no gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or interest-based lending. Pass
- Debt load Interest-bearing debt is 47.6% of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows. Fail
- Interest-bearing cash Cash held in interest-bearing accounts and securities is 2.7% of assets, under the one-third limit. Pass
- Receivables Money owed to the company is 2.5% of assets, under the 49% limit. Pass
- Revenue purity Only 0.0% of revenue comes from non-compliant sources — under the 5% line. Pass
Every security is read against two recognised standards: our stricter asset-based screen (ratios measured against total assets) and the more widely used market-value standard (measured against market capitalisation). Where they agree we say so plainly; where they part ways — almost always on the debt check — we show both readings and mark it, because that disagreement is the finding, not a fault. We report the score; you and your scholar make the call.
The business, in plain words · what the numbers mean
Reliable Power Bills Mask Heavy Debt Load
Millions of homes count on steady electricity every month, yet the balance sheet behind that reliability carries more debt than our ethical screen allows. Southern Company sits above our fair value estimate with a forward P/E of 19.4 times and a clear fail on debt metrics.
We pass because the current price leaves no margin of safety and the debt burden trips our core ethical test. Revenue growth at 8 percent and a 14 percent profit margin look respectable on paper, but they do not offset the valuation gap or the leverage concern.
The moderate moat in regulated power offers some protection, yet high debt still raises questions about resilience if rates or costs shift. Nineteen analysts call it a hold with a higher median target, but that does not change our reading.
Analysis, not advice.
| Forward P/E | 18.9x expensive even after accounting for its growth |
| Trailing P/E | 22.4x a premium valuation |
| Revenue growth | 0.1% slow but positive growth |
| Profit margin | 15.4% healthy profit margins |
| Return on equity | 11.5% a modest return on shareholder capital |
| Debt to equity | 1.82 a meaningful debt load worth watching |
| Current ratio | 0.79 below 1 — short-term bills exceed liquid assets |
| Beta | 0.33 barely tracks the market's swings |
| Market cap | $107.1B |
| Employees | 29,502 |
The risks · The things to watch: it carries a real debt load, which raises the stakes if revenue slips.
Plain-English interpretation of our own screen data. Analysis, not advice.
Latest news · what the market is reading on SO
- › Axios House: AI is reshaping America's industrial future Axios · 17 Jul 2026
- › Southern Co. (SO) Advances While Market Declines: Some Information for Investors Zacks · 16 Jul 2026
- › The Safest Retirement Portfolio Isn’t the One Most Financial Advisors Recommend 24/7 Wall St. · 16 Jul 2026
- › The Portfolio Blueprint for Building $20,000 a Month in Dividend Income 24/7 Wall St. · 16 Jul 2026
- › What It Takes to Earn $8,000 a Month From Dividends Without Chasing Yield 24/7 Wall St. · 15 Jul 2026
Headlines from third-party outlets, linked for reference — not our reporting, not advice.
Related securities · others in SO's space worth a look
Screened names in the same industry · explore each on its own page.
Where & how to trade · wherever in the world you are
SO trades on a US exchange. As a US-listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering US markets. New to this, or investing from outside the US? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.
The trader read · the latest dated commentary
The dated journal · newest first, never edited
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 3% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 9%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 9%. The street (19 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $102. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 3% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 9%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 9%. The street (19 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $102. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 3% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 9%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 9%. The street (19 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $102. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved up 2.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 3% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 9%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 9%. The street (19 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $102. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 3% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 9%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 9%. The street (19 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $102. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved up 2.9% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 3% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 9%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 9%. The street (19 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $102. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 3% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 9%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 9%. The street (19 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $102.
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns.
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns.
Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.
The insider ledger · Form 4 filings, as filed
| Date | Insider | Title | Type | Shares | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | KIM MATTHEW M. | Officer | 100 | $9,657 | |
| 2026-04-01 | KIM MATTHEW M. | Officer | 82 | · | |
| 2026-03-30 | GREENE KIMBERLY S | Officer | 25,000 | $2,416,750 | |
| 2026-03-19 | CUMMISKEY CHRISTOPHER | Officer | 6,669 | $643,892 | |
| 2026-03-18 | CONNALLY STANLEY W JR | Chief Operating Officer | 12,500 | $1,214,125 | |
| 2026-03-06 | DRAKE SLOANE N | Officer | 1,420 | · | |
| 2026-02-26 | EARLEY ANTHONY F JR | Director | 15,000 | · | |
| 2026-02-24 | KIM MATTHEW M. | Officer | 5,123 | $487,453 | |
| 2026-02-13 | WOMACK CHRISTOPHER C. | Chief Executive Officer | 179,550 | · | |
| 2026-02-13 | WOMACK CHRISTOPHER C. | Chief Executive Officer | 13,751 | · |
Public filings, recorded as found. The full tape lives at Insider Intelligence.
The political ledger · congressional disclosures
| Date | Politician | Party | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 May2024 | Tommy Tuberville | Republican | sell | 1K–15K |
| 7 Oct2025 | Tommy Tuberville | Republican | sell | 15K–50K |
| 6 May2026 | Ro Khanna | Democrat | buy | 1K–15K |
| 5 May2026 | Ro Khanna | Democrat | buy | 1K–15K |
| 31 Jul2026 | April McClain Delaney | Democrat | buy | 15K–50K |
What holding actually paid · price plus dividends
| Period | Price then | Price return | Divs per share | $1,000 became | Total return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | $92.34 | +1.8% | $0.76 | $1,026 | +2.6% |
| 2 months | $96.35 | -2.4% | $0.76 | $984 | -1.6% |
| 3 months | $97.04 | -3.1% | $0.76 | $977 | -2.3% |
| 6 months | $83.38 | +12.8% | $1.50 | $1,146 | +14.6% |
| 1 year | $86.47 | +8.7% | $2.98 | $1,122 | +12.2% |
| 2 years | $73.96 | +27.1% | $5.88 | $1,351 | +35.1% |
| 3 years | $64.13 | +46.6% | $8.70 | $1,602 | +60.2% |
| 5 years | $53.09 | +77.1% | $14.10 | $2,037 | +103.7% |
Historical returns from market close data. Past performance does not guarantee future results.