Southern Company (SO) director awarded new deferred stock units as equity pay

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

JAMES DONALD M reported acquisition or exercise transactions in this Form 4 filing.

Southern Company director James Donald received a grant of 464.2047 deferred stock units tied to Southern Company common stock as part of his quarterly director equity retainer. These units were awarded at a reference value of $96.94 per underlying share under the company’s 2021 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan.

The deferred stock units will be settled in shares of common stock after his service on the Board ends, according to his elections under the Deferred Compensation Plan for Outside Directors. After this award and dividend reinvestment, his deferred stock unit balance stands at 203,293.2031 units.

Insider Trade Summary

1 transaction reported

Mixed 1 txn

Insider JAMES DONALD M

Role Director

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Deferred Stock Units Holding	464.205	$96.94	$45K

Holdings After Transaction: Deferred Stock Units Holding — 203,293.203 shares (Direct)

Footnotes (1)

1. Represents quarterly director equity retainer paid under the Southern Company 2021 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan and deferred pursuant to the Deferred Compensation Plan for Outside Directors of The Southern Company (Deferred Compensation Plan). Each deferred stock unit represents the right to receive one share of Southern Company common stock. Deferred stock units are settled in shares of Southern Company common stock on the date(s) following the termination of the reporting person's service on the Board as specified by the reporting person pursuant to the Deferred Compensation Plan. There is no exercise or expiration date. Includes additional deferred stock units acquired through the dividend reinvestment feature of the Deferred Compensation Plan.

Key Figures

Deferred stock units granted: 464.2047 units Reference price per underlying share: $96.94 Deferred units after transaction: 203,293.2031 units +1 more

4 metrics

Deferred stock units granted 464.2047 units Quarterly director equity retainer on April 1, 2026

Reference price per underlying share $96.94 Value used for the deferred stock unit grant

Deferred units after transaction 203,293.2031 units Total deferred stock units following the award

Underlying shares per unit 1 share per unit Each unit equals one share of Southern Company common stock

Key Terms

Deferred stock units, Deferred Compensation Plan for Outside Directors, 2021 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan, Dividend reinvestment feature

4 terms

Deferred stock units financial

"Represents quarterly director equity retainer paid ... deferred pursuant to the Deferred Compensation Plan"

Deferred stock units are promises from a company to give an employee shares of stock at a future date, often after certain conditions are met or after leaving the company. They function like a form of delayed compensation, allowing employees to earn shares over time. For investors, they represent potential future ownership in the company, but do not provide immediate voting rights or dividends until the shares are actually received.

Deferred Compensation Plan for Outside Directors financial

"deferred pursuant to the Deferred Compensation Plan for Outside Directors of The Southern Company"

2021 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan financial

"paid under the Southern Company 2021 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan"

Dividend reinvestment feature financial

"Includes additional deferred stock units acquired through the dividend reinvestment feature of the Deferred Compensation Plan."

Form 4 Insider Transactions: What Each Field Means →

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

JAMES DONALD M

(Last) (First) (Middle)

30 IVAN ALLEN JR. BLVD., NW

(Street)

ATLANTA GEORGIA 30308

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
SOUTHERN CO [ SO ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director		10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
04/01/2026

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Deferred Stock Units Holding(1)	$0	04/01/2026		A		464.2047		(2)	(2)	Southern Company Common Stock	464.2047	$96.94	203,293.2031(3)	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Represents quarterly director equity retainer paid under the Southern Company 2021 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan and deferred pursuant to the Deferred Compensation Plan for Outside Directors of The Southern Company (Deferred Compensation Plan). Each deferred stock unit represents the right to receive one share of Southern Company common stock.

2. Deferred stock units are settled in shares of Southern Company common stock on the date(s) following the termination of the reporting person's service on the Board as specified by the reporting person pursuant to the Deferred Compensation Plan. There is no exercise or expiration date.

3. Includes additional deferred stock units acquired through the dividend reinvestment feature of the Deferred Compensation Plan.

	/s/ Brittney Anderson, Attorney-in-Fact for Donald M. James	04/02/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)

FAQ

What did Southern Co (SO) director James Donald receive in this Form 4?

He received 464.2047 deferred stock units as part of his quarterly director equity retainer. Each unit represents one share of Southern Company common stock, granted under the 2021 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan and deferred into the directors’ compensation program.

What are the key terms of the deferred stock units for Southern Co (SO)?

Each deferred stock unit equals one share of Southern Company common stock. The units have a reference value of $96.94 per underlying share and are settled in actual shares only after the director’s Board service terminates, with no exercise or expiration date.

When will the Southern Co (SO) deferred stock units be settled?

The deferred stock units will be settled in shares of Southern Company common stock after the director’s service on the Board ends. The exact timing and payout schedule follow the director’s elections under the Deferred Compensation Plan for Outside Directors.

How many deferred stock units does the Southern Co (SO) director hold after this grant?

Following this grant and dividend reinvestment, the director holds 203,293.2031 deferred stock units. Each unit represents the right to receive one share of Southern Company common stock, payable after the end of his Board service under the deferred compensation plan.

Is this Southern Co (SO) Form 4 an open-market stock purchase or sale?

No, this Form 4 reflects a compensation-related award, not an open-market trade. The director received deferred stock units as part of his quarterly equity retainer, which are settled in shares later rather than being bought or sold in the market.