<div id="readability-page-1"><p>Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in  Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO - Free Report) by 6.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities &amp; Exchange Commission. The firm owned 460,252 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 27,341 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Southern were worth $40,134,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.</p><ul><li>Target the Red-Hot Spin-Off and Merger Space With These ETFs</li></ul><p>Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in  Southern in the third quarter valued at $25,000.  Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in  Southern in the third quarter valued at $29,000.  Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in  Southern in the third quarter valued at $29,000.  Migdal Insurance &amp; Financial Holdings Ltd. bought a new stake in  Southern during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000.  Finally, Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID acquired a new stake in  Southern during the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. 64.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. </p><h2>Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth</h2><p>A number of brokerages have weighed in on SO. Wells Fargo &amp; Company  set a $96.00 price target on Southern and gave the stock an &#34;equal weight&#34; rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. BMO Capital Markets  reiterated an &#34;outperform&#34; rating on shares of Southern in a report on Friday, February 20th. Barclays increased their price target on Southern from $88.00 to $99.00 and gave the stock an &#34;equal weight&#34; rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. TD Cowen increased their price target on Southern from $108.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a &#34;buy&#34; rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Southern from $94.00 to $92.00 and set an &#34;underweight&#34; rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one  has issued  a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of &#34;Hold&#34; and a consensus price target of $99.85.</p><ul><li>Japan's Stealth Bull Market: How U.S. Investors Can Get Exposure</li></ul><p><b>Read Our Latest Analysis on Southern</b></p><h2>Southern Stock Performance</h2><p>Shares of Southern stock opened at $92.56 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $104.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.55, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.36. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $95.34 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $91.77. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. Southern Company has a 1-year low of $83.80 and a 1-year high of $100.83. </p><ul><li>Sony's $4 Billion Bet on Rock &amp; Roll Royalties</li></ul><p>Southern (NYSE:SO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $8.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.07 billion. Southern had a net margin of 14.46% and a return on equity of 12.64%. The business's revenue was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.23 EPS.  As a group, analysts anticipate that  Southern Company will post 4.57 EPS for the current year. </p><h2>Southern Increases Dividend</h2><p>The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th will be given a dividend of $0.76 per share. This is a boost from Southern's previous quarterly dividend of $0.74. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 18th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Southern's payout ratio is currently 75.32%. </p><h2>Insider Transactions at Southern</h2><p>In other news, EVP Christopher Cummiskey sold 6,669 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.55, for a total transaction of $643,891.95. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 30,800 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,973,740. This represents a 17.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities &amp; Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Kimberly S. Greene sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.67, for a total transaction of $2,416,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 103,602 shares in the company, valued at $10,015,205.34. This trade represents a 19.44% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.16% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. </p><h2>About Southern</h2> (Free Report)<p>Southern Company <span>NYSE: SO<span></span></span> 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.  </p><p>Southern's principal regulated electric subsidiaries include Georgia Power, Alabama Power and Mississippi Power, which serve large portions of the southeastern United States.</p><h2>See Also</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Southern</li><li>Robinhood, SoFi, and Webull Are Telling Very Different Stories</li><li>As Broadcom Eclipses $2 Trillion, Private Credit Giants Wants In</li><li>Target the Red-Hot Spin-Off and Merger Space With These ETFs</li><li>Samsung Joins the $1 Trillion Club as AI Memory Demand Explodes</li></ul><p><strong>Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SO?</strong> Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO - Free Report).</p><p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5ZU0UmU3ltYm9sPVNP?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="650" height="350" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5ZU0UmU3ltYm9sPVNP"/></p><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Southern Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider Southern, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Southern wasn't on the list.</p><p>While Southern currently has a Hold rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p>                  </div>

<p>Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Southern Company (NYSE:SO) by 6.3% in Q4, owning 460,252 shares valued at $40.13 million. Other institutional investors also acquired stakes. Analysts have mixed ratings on the stock, with a consensus price target of $99.85. Southern reported Q1 earnings of $1.32 EPS, exceeding estimates, and announced a dividend increase to $0.76 per share.</p>

Market Beat

Southern

Select Sect Spdr Util

ISHRS S&P Glb Utilities

Wells Fargo

Bank of Montreal

Barclays

Toronto Dominion Bank

Morgan Stanley

Sony

Sony Group Corporation

Southern Pref Shares SOJF 6.5 Perp 03/15/85

Southern Pref Shares SOMN 7.1250 12/15/2028

Southern Co Pref Share SOJD 4.95 01/30/80 2020

Southern Pref Share SOJE 4.2 10/15/60 C

Southern Co Pref Share SOJC 5.25 12/01/77

WELLS FARGO & COMPANY DP SHS REP 1/1000TH INT NCUM PFD CL A DD

WELLS FARGO & COMPANY 7.5% PERP CONV PRF CLS 'A' SERIES 'L'

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WELLS FARGO & COMPANY 4.75% DEP SHS 1/1000 NCUM PFD CL A SR Z

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MORGAN STANLEY DEP SHS EA REP 1/1000 SHS NON CUM PFD O

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MORGAN STANLEY DEP SHS REPS 1/1000 7.125% PFD E

MORGAN STANLEY NON-CUM DEP SH REP 1/1000 PFD SER I

MORGAN STANLEY 4.875 DEP SHS REP 1/1000 NCUM PFD SR L

MORGAN STANLEY 6.5%DEP SHS REPSTG 1/1000 NON CUM SER P

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Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. Has $40.13 Million Stake in Southern Company (The) $SO