SO
The Southern Company Utilities - Electric Investor Relations →
The Southern Company (SO) closed at $90.08 as of 2026-02-02, trading 21.7% above its 200-week moving average of $74.00. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 20.9% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 43, indicating neutral momentum.
Over the past 2253 weeks of data, SO has crossed below its 200-week moving average 10 times. On average, these episodes lasted 4 weeks. Historically, investors who bought SO at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +25.0%.
With a market cap of $99.2 billion, SO is a large-cap stock. Free cash flow yield is currently negative, meaning the company is burning cash. Return on equity stands at 11.4%. The stock trades at 2.8x book value.
Share count has increased 3.7% over three years, indicating dilution.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in SO would have grown to $3656, compared to $2849 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 11.5% vs 10.6% for the index — confirming SO as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
Free cash flow has been volatile over the past several years, making the quality of earnings harder to assess.
Growth of $100: SO vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After SO Crosses Below the Line?
Across 10 historical episodes, buying SO when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +23.1% after 12 months (median +25.0%), compared to +16.1% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 90% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +47.2% vs +28.0% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment SO crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
SO has crossed below its 200-week MA 10 times with an average 1-year return of +25.0% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2000 | Apr 2000 | 7 | 5.8% | +45.5% | +2079.9% |
| Oct 2008 | Oct 2008 | 1 | 0.3% | +4.1% | +500.9% |
| Feb 2009 | Aug 2009 | 25 | 15.8% | +5.0% | +502.7% |
| Aug 2009 | Sep 2009 | 2 | 1.6% | +24.1% | +485.2% |
| Oct 2009 | Nov 2009 | 1 | 1.3% | +28.0% | +489.5% |
| Feb 2018 | Feb 2018 | 1 | 0.1% | +16.5% | +184.9% |
| Mar 2018 | Mar 2018 | 1 | 1.1% | +26.7% | +186.5% |
| May 2018 | May 2018 | 1 | 2.7% | +32.6% | +189.1% |
| Jun 2018 | Jun 2018 | 1 | 0.3% | +32.8% | +181.5% |
| Mar 2020 | Mar 2020 | 1 | 1.3% | +34.6% | +142.8% |
| Average | 4 | — | +25.0% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02