Citizens National Bank Trust Department Boosts Stock Holdings in Southern Company (The) $SO

Citizens National Bank Trust Department lifted its position in shares of Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO) by 26.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 29,671 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,267 shares during the period. Citizens National Bank Trust Department’s holdings in Southern were worth $2,812,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ameriflex Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Southern by 275.0% in the second quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 300 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 220 shares during the last quarter. Advantage Trust Co increased its holdings in Southern by 1,428.6% in the 2nd quarter. Advantage Trust Co now owns 321 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Southern in the 2nd quarter worth about $38,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Southern by 309.5% during the 2nd quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 430 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares during the period. Finally, Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Southern during the 2nd quarter valued at about $40,000. 64.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Southern Stock Down 1.4%

NYSE SO opened at $86.28 on Thursday. Southern Company has a 52 week low of $80.50 and a 52 week high of $100.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69. The company has a market capitalization of $95.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.46. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $88.57 and its 200-day moving average price is $92.01.

Southern (NYSE:SO) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.09. Southern had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 12.52%. The company had revenue of $7.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.39 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Southern Company will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th were given a dividend of $0.74 per share. This represents a $2.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 73.27%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on SO shares. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Southern from $97.00 to $88.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Southern from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $98.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Thursday, November 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Southern from $104.00 to $93.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underperform” rating and set a $97.00 price objective on shares of Southern in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Scotiabank reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $99.00 target price on shares of Southern in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Southern presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $96.21.

Southern Profile

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is an Atlanta-based energy holding company that provides electric and gas utility services and owns power generation assets across the United States. Founded in 1945, the company operates a portfolio of regulated electric utilities and affiliated businesses that generate, transmit and distribute electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers.

Southern’s principal regulated electric subsidiaries include Georgia Power, Alabama Power and Mississippi Power, which serve large portions of the southeastern United States.