Southern Co. (SO) Reports Q4 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say

For the quarter ended December 2024, Southern Co. (SO) reported revenue of $6.34 billion, up 4.9% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.50, compared to $0.64 in the year-ago quarter.The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.22 billion, representing a surprise of +1.96%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -1.96%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.51.While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.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: $417 million versus $567.15 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -17.1% change. Operating Revenues- Southern Company Natural Gas: $1.24 billion compared to the $1.15 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -3.8% year over year. Operating Revenues- Georgia Power: $2.59 billion compared to the $2.37 billion average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +11.8% year over year. Operating Revenues- Mississippi Power: $345 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $358.11 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +2.4%. Operating Revenues- Other: $331 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $271.27 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +15.3%. Operating Revenues- Natural Gas revenues: $1.24 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $1.21 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -3.8%. Operating Revenues- Alabama Power: $1.75 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $1.82 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +7.4%. Net Income Available to Common- Southern Company Gas: $185 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $115.74 million. Net Income Available to Common- Southern Power: $64 million compared to the $112.16 million average estimate based on three analysts. Net Income Available to Common- Mississippi Power: $13 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $41.23 million. Net Income Available to Common- Alabama Power: $208 million versus $129.54 million estimated by two analysts on average. Net Income Available to Common- Georgia Power: $294 million versus $448.47 million estimated by two analysts on average. View all Key Company Metrics for Southern Co. here>>>Shares of Southern Co. have returned +4.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.6% 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.5 Stocks Set to DoubleEach was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2024. While not all picks can be winners, previous recommendations have soared +143.0%, +175.9%, +498.3% and +673.0%.Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Southern Company (The) (SO): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks