The Southern Company
SO25 yrs growthUtilities · Stock · quarterly payer
Forward Yield
3.19%
Annual Dividend
$3.04
Payout Ratio
76%
5-Yr Growth
3.0%
Ex-Date
May 18, 2026
Frequency
Quarterly
Summary
As of July 2026, The Southern Company (SO) yields 3.19% ($3.04 per share annually), with a blended fair-value estimate of $93.61 — -2% downside, so it screens as fairly valued. Dividend safety grade: A (90/100). 25 years of dividend growth.
Is SO a good dividend stock?
YesThe Southern Company (SO) pays a quarterly dividend yielding 3.19% ($3.04/yr), with 25 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of A. It scores well across payout coverage, growth history and safety — a dependable income holding.
Advantages
- Dividend Aristocrat — 25 consecutive years of growth
- Never cut its dividend on record
- 45% total price return over 5 years
- Top-tier dividend safety score
Risks
- Single-stock concentration risk — diversify
Key Data
- Dividend Yield
- 3.19%
- Payout Ratio
- 76%
- Annual Dividend
- $3.04
- 5-Yr Avg Growth
- 3.0%
- Ex-Dividend Date
- May 18, 2026
- Years of Growth
- 25
- Frequency
- quarterly
- Beta
- 0.33
- Market Cap
- $106.5B
- P/E Ratio
- 24.4
- 5-Yr Total Return
- 45%
- 52-Week Range
- $83.80 – $100.84
- Dividend Safety
- A · 90/100
- Ever Cut?
- No
Frequently Asked Questions
SO Price — Last 12 Months
Daily close
Price Return
1 Year
+3%
3 Years
+41%
5 Years
+45%
52-Week Range
$83.80 – $100.84
Price change over each period (excludes dividends). Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
What is SO worth?
Fairly valuedmedium confidenceOur blended fair-value estimate for The Southern Company is $93.61 per share, versus a market price of $95.30. That implies the stock is roughly fairly priced.
Fair Value
$93.61
Current Price
$95.30
Gap
-2%
Margin of Safety
-2%
How we get there
Dividend discount
Discounts the future dividend stream back to today.
Earnings multiple (Graham)
Graham's earnings-multiple formula, anchored to bond yields.
At today's price, the market is pricing in about 40.0% annual free-cash-flow growth. We model 9.0% — so the price already assumes faster growth than we think is likely.
Assumptions: 7.0% discount rate (CAPM), 9.0% stage-1 growth, 2.5% terminal growth, $3.91 EPS, $3.04 annual dividend. Updated weekly.
Fair-value estimates are model output for educational purposes only — not investment advice or a price target.
SO Dividend Safety Score
Very Safe
SmarterDividends' proprietary score, backtested against which dividends were actually cut over 15+ years (0.78 AUC). It blends a validated cut-risk model (growth streak, cut history) with current payout, cash-flow and debt. Higher is safer · not investment advice.
Dividend Growth
Total dividends per share by year
Dividend History
| Ex-Date | Pay Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2026 | — | $0.7600 | regular |
| Feb 17, 2026 | — | $0.7400 | regular |
| Nov 17, 2025 | — | $0.7400 | regular |
| Aug 18, 2025 | — | $0.7400 | regular |
| May 19, 2025 | — | $0.7400 | regular |
| Feb 18, 2025 | — | $0.7200 | regular |
| Nov 18, 2024 | — | $0.7200 | regular |
| Aug 19, 2024 | — | $0.7200 | regular |
| May 17, 2024 | — | $0.7200 | regular |
| Feb 16, 2024 | — | $0.7000 | regular |
| Nov 17, 2023 | — | $0.7000 | regular |
| Aug 18, 2023 | — | $0.7000 | regular |
| May 12, 2023 | — | $0.7000 | regular |
| Feb 17, 2023 | — | $0.6800 | regular |
Income Calculator
At $3.04 / yr per share
