Southern Co. (SO) Q3 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates

For the quarter ended September 2025, Southern Co. (SO) reported revenue of $7.82 billion, up 7.6% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.60, compared to $1.43 in the year-ago quarter.The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.54 billion, representing a surprise of +3.78%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +6.67%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $1.50.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.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: $7.82 billion compared to the $598.56 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +1203.8% year over year.Total retail sales: $42.37 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of $42.35 billion.Operating Revenues- Southern Company Natural Gas: $734 million versus $729.93 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +7.6% change.Operating Revenues- Natural Gas revenues: $734 million compared to the $861.8 million average estimate based on three analysts.Operating Revenues- Georgia Power - Other Revenues: $271 million versus $220.22 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +29.7% change.Operating Revenues- Mississippi Power - Retail Revenues: $302 million compared to the $263.7 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +9.4% year over year.Operating Revenues- Southern Company Gas - Gas Distribution Operations: $668 million compared to the $685.39 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +8.4% year over year.Operating Revenues- Southern Company Gas - Gas Marketing Services: $58 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $57.13 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +9.4%.Operating Revenues- Retail Electric: $5.71 billion versus $5.05 billion estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +6.4% change.Operating Revenues- Alabama Power: $2.32 billion compared to the $2.14 billion average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +8.4% year over year.Operating Revenues- Georgia Power: $3.77 billion versus $3.33 billion estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +8.6% change.Operating Revenues- Mississippi Power: $480 million compared to the $403.96 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +16.5% year over year.View all Key Company Metrics for Southern Co. here>>>Shares of Southern Co. have returned -1.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3.6% 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.Zacks' Research Chief Picks Stock Most Likely to "At Least Double"Our experts have revealed their Top 5 recommendations with money-doubling potential – and Director of Research Sheraz Mian believes one is superior to the others. Of course, all our picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier recommendations like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.See Our Top Stock to Double (Plus 4 Runners Up) >>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 ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks