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Southern Company Is One of the Largest Utilities Companies by Market Cap. But Is It a Buy?
Southern Company Is One of the Largest Utilities Companies by Market Cap. But Is It a Buy?

Globe and Mail

time7 days ago

  • Business
  • Globe and Mail

Southern Company Is One of the Largest Utilities Companies by Market Cap. But Is It a Buy?

Key Points Southern Company is a sprawling utility business with strong positioning for a nuclear energy resurgence. The dividend offers a solid starting yield and comes with growth potential. However, the stock may not be as attractive following its recent rally. 10 stocks we like better than Southern Company › Providing key energy resources, such as electricity and natural gas, to consumers and businesses isn't easy. However, it's a big industry, and that's where utility companies shine. The Motley Fool recently researched the largest utility companies, and Southern Company (NYSE: SO) ranked third, with a market capitalization of just over $100 billion. The utility giant seemingly does it all; it operates electric and gas utilities, provides fiber optic and wireless communications services, and sells wholesale energy. The company has over 9 million customers across the southeastern United States. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » But is Southern Company worth your hard-earned cash today? Here's how the stock might appeal to investors and whether it's a buy currently. Positioned for a resurgence in nuclear The surge in data center construction for artificial intelligence and cloud computing could strain the U.S. electric grid. Goldman Sachs estimates that data center power consumption will rise by 165% from 2023 levels by the end of this decade. That has revived interest in nuclear power. Some of the leading technology companies have already begun inking deals with nuclear companies to supply power, and the Trump administration is calling for increased investment in nuclear to quadruple the country's capacity by 2050. Southern Company is positioned well as an incumbent leader in nuclear power. Its subsidiary, Southern Nuclear, operates eight nuclear units across three power plants, including its recently completed Vogtle Units 3 (2023) and 4 (2024), the first newly built commercial units in the United States in approximately three decades. Vogtle Units 3 and 4 took approximately 15 years to build and cost over $36 billion, so having this done ahead of what could be a golden age for nuclear power demand is a key advantage. It also frees up Southern Company from what has been a costly endeavor, to say the least. A steady and growing dividend Utility companies are typically stable investments and fantastic dividend stocks. People almost always need energy, and the regulated nature of the industry limits competition in exchange for continued investment and price stability from the utilities. Southern Company operates multiple subsidiaries, spanning power generation, transmission, electric and gas utilities, nuclear, and telecommunications. Cumulatively, Southern Company anticipates 8% annualized load growth (power demand) through 2029, translating to 5% to 7% annualized long-term earnings-per-share growth. That is more than enough to fund continued dividend increases. Southern Company already has an established dividend track record of 24 consecutive annual increases and hasn't cut its dividend in 78 years. The stock's dividend yield is 3.2% at its current share price. Is Southern Company a buy? That growth and dividend could push the stock's annualized investment returns to 8% to 10%. That won't excite everyone, but utility stocks are famously resilient, and Southern Company's beta of just 0.38 should allow shareholders to sleep well at night when the broader market tumbles. Southern Company's stock has risen about 16% over the past year, likely due, at least in part, to the increased excitement surrounding nuclear energy producers. I probably wouldn't call Southern Company stock a bargain. Not at a price-to-earnings ratio of 21, using 2025 estimated earnings, when the business is expecting 5% to 7% annualized earnings growth. Management indicated there could be some upside to its growth forecast, so perhaps Southern Company comes in at the high end or even exceeds that. However, that's speculation at this point. It's probably fine to nibble on Southern Company at its current price. But, ideally, the stock would pull back to around 17 to 18 times earnings, a more attractive valuation for a slow-and-steady stalwart like Southern Company. Should you invest $1,000 in Southern Company right now? Before you buy stock in Southern Company, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Southern Company wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $671,477!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,010,880!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is1,047% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to180%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 7, 2025

Gas station explosion in Rome injures dozens of people: "I felt my skin burning"
Gas station explosion in Rome injures dozens of people: "I felt my skin burning"

CBS News

time04-07-2025

  • CBS News

Gas station explosion in Rome injures dozens of people: "I felt my skin burning"

A gas station explosion rocked a neighborhood in southeastern Rome on Friday, injuring at least 25, including 10 first responders, authorities said. The explosion was heard across the Italian capital shortly after 8 a.m. local time and sent a huge cloud of dark smoke and fire that was visible from across the city. Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said that local police and firefighters rushed to the Prenestino neighborhood after receiving a report of a gas leak. Two explosions followed after they arrived, he added. Smoke rises from the site of the explosion at a petrol station in Via dei Gordiani, on July 4, 2025 in Rome, Italy. Antonio Masiello / Getty Images "Local police immediately evacuated a sports center nearby, while other officers evacuated buildings on the other side of the gas station, avoiding a much more serious tragedy," Gualtieri said. Elisabetta Accardo, Rome's police spokeswoman, said that 16 residents were injured, including two who were in "severe conditions," and were hospitalized at Rome's Casilino hospital. "Nine of the injured are from law enforcement corps — police and carabinieri — and one is a firefighter," she said. "But luckily they are not in life-threatening conditions." Fifteen firefighting teams were at the site trying to bring the fire under control. Firefighters work at the site of the explosion at a petrol station in Via dei Gordiani, on July 4, 2025 in Rome, Italy. Antonio Masiello / Getty Images Photographs and videos from the scene showed widespread devastation after the blast, including burnt-out vehicles and buildings. "The explosion was really powerful. I felt my skin burning," Michele Secu, a 23-year-old who worked at the now-destroyed sports center, told AFP. Massimo Bartoletti told local news outlet Roma Repubblica that the first explosion was a "classic fireball" and that the second one that followed was "hellish." "A fiery mushroom formed in the sky. It made the whole area shake. It looked like hell, everything was flying in the sky," he added. Following the explosion at a gas station in Rome, the fire department has closed the surrounding roads. Several people were injured. Sabina Crisan/picture alliance via Getty Images Rome prosecutors have begun an investigation into the cause of the explosion, which could be related to a previous gas leak during the unloading phase of liquified petroleum gas at the station. The sports center near the gas station was evacuated swiftly by police following the first explosion. Balzani Fabio, head of the sports center, told AFP that around 60 children were due at the site for a summer camp and some 120 people were booked to use the swimming pool on Friday morning. "It would have been a massacre, a catastrophe," Balzani told AFP. Police said they checked the surrounding area for people who were injured or trapped in nearby buildings. Smoke rises after a gas station exploded on the outskirts of Rome, Friday, July 4, 2025. Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP Barbara Belardinelli said that she and her daughter were slightly injured when they heard the first explosion and left their home to investigate before the next explosion struck them. "As soon as we heard the second explosion, we were also hit by a ball of fire. I thought that a car near us exploded, metal fragments were flying in the air," she said. "We felt the fire on the skin, the arm of my daughter is still red, it was horrible." Other residents said the explosion was so loud and violent it struck nearby buildings "like an earthquake," breaking windows and ripping off shutters. Pope Leo XIV said that he was praying for those affected by the explosion, which happened "in the heart of my Diocese." Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was closely following the developments. In a post on social media, she wrote: "I express my closeness to all those who are injured -- including law enforcement officers, firefighters and health workers -- and I extend my heartfelt thanks to those involved in the rescue and safety operations".

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