Southern Co. (SO) reported $7.78 billion in revenue for the quarter ended March 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 17%. EPS of $1.23 for the same period compares to $1.03 a year ago.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.01 billion, representing a surprise of +10.96%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +2.50%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $1.20.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.
Here is how Southern Co. performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
- Operating Revenues- Southern Power: $567 million versus $555.94 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +19.9% change.
- Operating Revenues- Southern Company Natural Gas: $1.84 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of $1.54 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +7.7%.
- Operating Revenues- Georgia Power - Retail Revenues: $2.63 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $2.39 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +22%.
- Operating Revenues- Georgia Power - Wholesale Revenues: $144 million compared to the $66.47 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +148.3% year over year.
- Operating Revenues- Georgia Power - Other Revenues: $263 million versus $193.21 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +42.2% change.
- Operating Revenues- Mississippi Power - Other Revenues: $20 million versus $11.98 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +81.8% change.
- Operating Revenues- Southern Company Gas - Gas Distribution Operations: $1.57 billion compared to the $1.18 billion average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +7.3% year over year.
- Operating Revenues- Natural Gas revenues: $1.84 billion compared to the $1.43 billion average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +7.7% year over year.
- Operating Revenues- Alabama Power: $2.01 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $1.97 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +12.3%.
- Operating Revenues- Georgia Power: $3.04 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $2.65 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +26.7%.
- Operating Revenues- Mississippi Power: $420 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $365.24 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +22.8%.
- Operating Revenues- Alabama Power - Other Revenues: $129 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $106.48 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +29%.
View all Key Company Metrics for Southern Co. here>>>
Shares of Southern Co. have returned +0.7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
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Southern Company (The) (SO): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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