Southern Financials
Financial Health Signals
Based on FY2024 annual data. Scores normalized against common benchmarks. How we calculate these scores
Southern has an operating margin of 26.5%, meaning the company retains $26 of operating profit per $100 of revenue. This strong profitability earns a score of 100/100, reflecting efficient cost management and pricing power. This is up from 23.1% the prior year.
Southern's revenue grew 5.8% year-over-year to $26.7B, a solid pace of expansion. This earns a growth score of 45/100.
Southern has a moderate D/E ratio of 1.77. This balance of debt and equity financing earns a leverage score of 46/100.
Southern's current ratio of 0.67 means current assets barely cover short-term liabilities. This tight liquidity results in a low score of 7/100, which could limit financial flexibility.
Southern's free cash flow margin of 3.1% results in a low score of 16/100. Capital expenditures of $9.0B absorb a large share of operating cash flow.
Southern's ROE of 12.8% shows moderate profitability relative to equity, earning a score of 51/100. This is up from 12.2% the prior year.
Southern scores 1.01, below the 1.81 distress threshold. The score is driven primarily by a large market capitalization ($104.5B) relative to total liabilities ($108.5B). This indicates elevated financial distress risk and warrants close attention to liquidity and debt levels.
Southern passes 6 of 9 financial strength tests. All 4 profitability signals pass (positive income, cash flow, and earnings quality), 1 of 3 leverage/liquidity signals pass, both operating efficiency signals pass.
For every $1 of reported earnings, Southern generates $2.30 in operating cash flow ($9.8B OCF vs $4.3B net income). This indicates profits are well-supported by actual cash generation, not accounting adjustments.
Southern earns $2.6 in operating income for every $1 of interest expense ($7.1B vs $2.7B). This adequate coverage means the company can meet its interest obligations, but has limited cushion if earnings fall.
This page shows Southern (SO) financial statements, including the income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and key financial ratios. View 18 years of annual fundamentals and quarterly data, with year-over-year growth rates and compound annual growth rates (CAGR). All figures are derived from SEC filings (10-K and 10-Q reports).
Key Financial Metrics
Southern generated $26.7B in revenue in fiscal year 2024. This represents an increase of 5.8% from the prior year.
Southern's EBITDA was $12.3B in fiscal year 2024, measuring earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. This represents an increase of 14.1% from the prior year.
Southern generated $833.0M in free cash flow in fiscal year 2024, representing cash available after capex. This represents an increase of 154.0% from the prior year.
Southern reported $4.3B in net income in fiscal year 2024. This represents an increase of 10.7% from the prior year.
Southern earned $3.99 per diluted share (EPS) in fiscal year 2024. This represents an increase of 10.2% from the prior year.
Southern held $1.1B in cash against $58.8B in long-term debt as of fiscal year 2024.
Southern paid $2.86 per share in dividends in fiscal year 2024. This represents an increase of 2.9% from the prior year.
Southern had 1.10B shares outstanding in fiscal year 2024. This represents an increase of 0.5% from the prior year.
Southern's operating margin was 26.5% in fiscal year 2024, reflecting core business profitability. This is up 3.4 percentage points from the prior year.
Southern's net profit margin was 15.9% in fiscal year 2024, showing the share of revenue converted to profit. This is up 0.7 percentage points from the prior year.
Southern's ROE was 12.8% in fiscal year 2024, measuring profit generated per dollar of shareholder equity. This is up 0.6 percentage points from the prior year.
Southern invested $9.0B in capex in fiscal year 2024, funding long-term assets and infrastructure. This represents a decrease of 1.5% from the prior year.
SO Income Statement
| Metric | Q3'25 | Q2'25 | Q1'25 | Q3'24 | Q2'24 | Q1'24 | Q4'23 | Q3'23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $7.8B+12.2% | $7.0B-10.3% | $7.8B+22.6% | $6.3B-1.9% | $6.5B-2.8% | $6.6B+9.9% | $6.0B-13.4% | $7.0B |
| Cost of Revenue | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Gross Profit | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| R&D Expenses | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| SG&A Expenses | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Operating Income | $2.6B+47.1% | $1.8B-12.2% | $2.0B+90.0% | $1.1B-45.4% | $1.9B+13.9% | $1.7B+41.0% | $1.2B-42.7% | $2.1B |
| Interest Expense | $755.0M-13.6% | $874.0M+22.4% | $714.0M+3.2% | $692.0M-0.3% | $694.0M+4.4% | $665.0M+4.9% | $634.0M+2.3% | $620.0M |
| Income Tax | $404.0M+39.8% | $289.0M+3.2% | $280.0M+254.4% | $79.0M-72.8% | $290.0M+30.0% | $223.0M+5475.0% | $4.0M-98.7% | $297.0M |
| Net Income | $1.7B+94.4% | $880.0M-30.7% | $1.3B+181.6% | $451.0M-62.5% | $1.2B+12.3% | $1.1B+34.7% | $795.0M-44.5% | $1.4B |
| EPS (Diluted) | $1.54+94.9% | $0.79-34.7% | $1.21+152.1% | $0.48-56.0% | $1.09+5.8% | $1.03+32.1% | $0.78-39.5% | $1.29 |
SO Balance Sheet
| Metric | Q3'25 | Q2'25 | Q1'25 | Q3'24 | Q2'24 | Q1'24 | Q4'23 | Q3'23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $153.2B+3.0% | $148.9B+0.5% | $148.1B+2.0% | $145.2B+2.3% | $141.9B+1.3% | $140.1B+0.6% | $139.3B+0.7% | $138.3B |
| Current Assets | $12.6B+16.9% | $10.8B-8.6% | $11.8B+10.5% | $10.7B-2.7% | $11.0B+4.3% | $10.5B+1.1% | $10.4B-5.9% | $11.1B |
| Cash & Equivalents | $3.3B+164.3% | $1.3B-45.7% | $2.3B+117.5% | $1.1B-7.1% | $1.2B+61.6% | $713.0M-4.7% | $748.0M-55.4% | $1.7B |
| Inventory | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Accounts Receivable | $2.9B-5.3% | $3.1B+3.3% | $3.0B-1.4% | $3.0B-1.4% | $3.1B+10.6% | $2.8B-1.0% | $2.8B+5.2% | $2.7B |
| Goodwill | $5.2B0.0% | $5.2B0.0% | $5.2B0.0% | $5.2B0.0% | $5.2B0.0% | $5.2B0.0% | $5.2B0.0% | $5.2B |
| Total Liabilities | $115.0B+3.1% | $111.5B+0.6% | $110.9B+2.2% | $108.5B+2.5% | $105.8B+1.3% | $104.5B+0.4% | $104.1B+1.1% | $103.0B |
| Current Liabilities | $16.7B+14.8% | $14.6B+5.8% | $13.8B-13.9% | $16.0B+33.0% | $12.0B+5.0% | $11.5B-14.9% | $13.5B+1.9% | $13.2B |
| Long-Term Debt | $64.6B+2.6% | $63.0B+0.1% | $62.9B+7.1% | $58.8B-1.9% | $59.9B+0.9% | $59.4B+3.8% | $57.2B+2.2% | $56.0B |
| Total Equity | $38.3B+2.5% | $37.3B+0.3% | $37.2B+12.1% | $33.2B-8.0% | $36.1B+1.4% | $35.6B+13.3% | $31.4B-10.9% | $35.3B |
| Retained Earnings | N/A | N/A | N/A | $13.8B | N/A | N/A | $12.5B | N/A |
SO Cash Flow Statement
| Metric | Q3'25 | Q2'25 | Q1'25 | Q3'24 | Q2'24 | Q1'24 | Q4'23 | Q3'23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash Flow | $3.8B+73.0% | $2.2B+74.5% | $1.3B-42.5% | $2.2B-19.2% | $2.7B+105.0% | $1.3B-27.7% | $1.8B-36.2% | $2.8B |
| Capital Expenditures | $3.2B+14.8% | $2.8B+14.9% | $2.4B-11.3% | $2.7B+29.4% | $2.1B+20.1% | $1.8B-30.1% | $2.5B-4.8% | $2.7B |
| Free Cash Flow | $559.0M+190.3% | -$619.0M+47.9% | -$1.2B-106.1% | -$576.0M-202.3% | $563.0M+222.7% | -$459.0M+36.3% | -$721.0M-507.3% | $177.0M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -$3.9B-33.3% | -$2.9B-2.3% | -$2.8B-4.1% | -$2.7B-48.2% | -$1.8B+23.0% | -$2.4B+19.1% | -$2.9B-21.1% | -$2.4B |
| Financing Cash Flow | $2.2B+723.0% | -$348.0M-112.4% | $2.8B+373.1% | $595.0M+226.1% | -$472.0M-147.9% | $985.0M+497.0% | $165.0M+121.7% | -$761.0M |
| Dividends Paid | $760.0M+0.3% | $758.0M+3.0% | $736.0M+0.3% | $734.0M-2.7% | $754.0M+2.9% | $733.0M-4.1% | $764.0M-0.1% | $765.0M |
| Share Buybacks | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
SO Financial Ratios
| Metric | Q3'25 | Q2'25 | Q1'25 | Q3'24 | Q2'24 | Q1'24 | Q4'23 | Q3'23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Operating Margin | 33.2%+7.9pp | 25.3%-0.6pp | 25.9%+9.2pp | 16.7%-13.3pp | 30.0%+4.4pp | 25.6%+5.6pp | 20.0%-10.3pp | 30.2% |
| Net Margin | 21.9%+9.3pp | 12.6%-3.7pp | 16.3%+9.2pp | 7.1%-11.5pp | 18.6%+2.5pp | 16.1%+3.0pp | 13.2%-7.4pp | 20.5% |
| Return on Equity | 4.5%+2.1pp | 2.4%-1.0pp | 3.4%+2.0pp | 1.4%-2.0pp | 3.3%+0.3pp | 3.0%+0.5pp | 2.5%-1.5pp | 4.1% |
| Return on Assets | 1.1%+0.5pp | 0.6%-0.3pp | 0.9%+0.5pp | 0.3%-0.5pp | 0.9%+0.1pp | 0.8%+0.2pp | 0.6%-0.5pp | 1.0% |
| Current Ratio | 0.75+0.0 | 0.74-0.1 | 0.86+0.2 | 0.67-0.2 | 0.910.0 | 0.92+0.1 | 0.77-0.1 | 0.84 |
| Debt-to-Equity | 1.690.0 | 1.690.0 | 1.69-0.1 | 1.77+0.1 | 1.660.0 | 1.67-0.2 | 1.82+0.2 | 1.59 |
| FCF Margin | 7.1%+16.0pp | -8.9%+6.4pp | -15.3%-6.2pp | -9.1%-17.8pp | 8.7%+15.6pp | -6.9%+5.0pp | -11.9%-14.5pp | 2.5% |
Note: The current ratio is below 1.0 (0.67), indicating current liabilities exceed current assets, which may suggest potential short-term liquidity concerns.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Southern's annual revenue?
Southern (SO) reported $26.7B in total revenue for fiscal year 2024. This represents a 5.8% change compared to the previous fiscal year. Revenue measures the total income earned from the company's primary business operations before any expenses are deducted.
How fast is Southern's revenue growing?
Southern (SO) revenue grew by 5.8% year-over-year, from $25.3B to $26.7B in fiscal year 2024.
Is Southern profitable?
Yes, Southern (SO) reported a net income of $4.3B in fiscal year 2024, with a net profit margin of 15.9%.
What is Southern's earnings per share (EPS)?
Southern (SO) reported diluted earnings per share of $3.99 for fiscal year 2024. This represents a 10.2% change compared to the previous fiscal year. EPS represents the portion of a company's net income allocated to each outstanding share of common stock and is widely used to evaluate profitability on a per-share basis.
What is Southern's EBITDA?
Southern (SO) had EBITDA of $12.3B in fiscal year 2024, measuring earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.
How much debt does Southern have?
As of fiscal year 2024, Southern (SO) had $1.1B in cash and equivalents against $58.8B in long-term debt.
What is Southern's operating margin?
Southern (SO) had an operating margin of 26.5% in fiscal year 2024, reflecting the profitability of core business operations before interest and taxes.
What is Southern's net profit margin?
Southern (SO) had a net profit margin of 15.9% in fiscal year 2024, representing the share of revenue converted into profit after all expenses.
Does Southern pay dividends?
Yes, Southern (SO) paid $2.86 per share in dividends during fiscal year 2024.
What is Southern's return on equity (ROE)?
Southern (SO) has a return on equity of 12.8% for fiscal year 2024, measuring how efficiently the company generates profit from shareholder equity.
What is Southern's free cash flow?
Southern (SO) generated $833.0M in free cash flow during fiscal year 2024. This represents a 154.0% change compared to the previous fiscal year. Free cash flow represents the cash a company generates after accounting for capital expenditures, and is widely used to assess financial flexibility and shareholder value.
What is Southern's operating cash flow?
Southern (SO) generated $9.8B in operating cash flow during fiscal year 2024, representing cash generated from core business activities.
What are Southern's total assets?
Southern (SO) had $145.2B in total assets as of fiscal year 2024, including both current and long-term assets.
What are Southern's capital expenditures?
Southern (SO) invested $9.0B in capital expenditures during fiscal year 2024, funding long-term assets and infrastructure.
How many shares does Southern have outstanding?
Southern (SO) had 1.10B shares outstanding as of fiscal year 2024.
What is Southern's current ratio?
Southern (SO) had a current ratio of 0.67 as of fiscal year 2024, which is below 1.0, which may suggest potential liquidity concerns.
What is Southern's debt-to-equity ratio?
Southern (SO) had a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.77 as of fiscal year 2024, measuring the company's financial leverage by comparing total debt to shareholder equity.
What is Southern's return on assets (ROA)?
Southern (SO) had a return on assets of 2.9% for fiscal year 2024, measuring how efficiently the company uses its assets to generate profit.
What is Southern's Altman Z-Score?
Southern (SO) has an Altman Z-Score of 1.01, placing it in the Distress Zone (elevated bankruptcy risk). The Z-Score combines five financial ratios—working capital, retained earnings, EBIT, market capitalization, and revenue relative to total assets—to predict the likelihood of bankruptcy. Scores above 2.99 indicate financial safety while scores below 1.81 suggest financial distress. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.
What is Southern's Piotroski F-Score?
Southern (SO) has a Piotroski F-Score of 6 out of 9, indicating neutral financial health. The F-Score evaluates nine binary signals across profitability (positive ROA, positive cash flow, improving ROA, earnings quality), leverage (decreasing debt, improving liquidity, no share dilution), and operating efficiency (improving gross margin, improving asset turnover). Scores of 7–9 indicate strong and improving fundamentals. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.
Are Southern's earnings high quality?
Southern (SO) has an earnings quality ratio of 2.30x, considered cash-backed (high quality). This ratio compares operating cash flow to net income. A ratio above 1.0x means the company generates more cash than its reported earnings, indicating sustainable, cash-backed profits. Ratios below 1.0x suggest earnings rely on accounting accruals rather than actual cash generation. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.
Can Southern cover its interest payments?
Southern (SO) has an interest coverage ratio of 2.6x, meaning it can adequately cover its interest obligations. This ratio divides operating income by interest expense. Ratios above 5x indicate strong debt-servicing ability, while ratios below 2x suggest the company may face difficulty meeting interest payments if earnings decline. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.
How financially healthy is Southern?
Southern (SO) scores 44 out of 100 on our Financial Profile, indicating moderate overall financial health. This composite score evaluates six dimensions: profitability (operating margin), revenue growth, leverage (debt-to-equity), liquidity (current ratio), cash flow quality (free cash flow margin), and shareholder returns (return on equity). Each dimension is normalized against standard financial benchmarks. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.