Health score, competitive moat, risk signals, and key metrics at a glance.
The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the sale of electricity. The company offers electric service to retail customers and wholesale customers; and energy-related products and services to natural gas choice markets. It also develops, constructs, acquires, owns, operates, and manages power generation assets, as well as battery energy storage projects; sells electricity at market-based rates in the wholesale market; and deploys microgrids for commercial, industrial, governmental, and utility customers. In addition, the company is involved in the distribution of natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee; distributes energy and resilience solutions; and invests in telecommunications. The Southern Company was incorporated in 1945 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Competitive analysis based on 65 quarters of fundamental data
Operating margins are positive at ~25.1% on average, but show some variability — pricing power may be sensitive to market conditions.
ROE is positive at ~11.6% on average, adequate but below the threshold typically associated with wide moats.
Only 3 of the last 8 quarters had positive FCF — the business may require external capital to sustain operations.
TTM revenue has grown consistently (7 of 7 quarters up), with ~15.5% growth over the period. Strong demand durability.
Data-driven red flags and warnings across 65 quarters
Operating margins declined 9.0% — watch for continued compression, which may signal competitive or cost pressure.
Free cash flow has been negative in 5 of the last 8 quarters — earnings are not translating to cash.
D/E ratio is 1.7 — conservative capital structure with low financial risk.
Revenue is stable or growing over recent quarters — demand appears durable.
5 of the last 8 quarters had negative FCF — inconsistent cash generation raises sustainability concerns.
Shares outstanding rose 2.6% — mild dilution. Compare to earnings growth to assess net per-share impact.
as of March 2026
Revenue, EBITDA, operating income, net income, EPS, and shares
Gross, EBITDA, operating, and net margin trends
P/E, P/S, P/B, EV/EBITDA, FCF yield, and earnings yield
Total assets, cash, debt, book value, and leverage
Operating cash flow, free cash flow, FCF margin, and earnings quality
