$SO

Five companies—Philip Morris (PM), Prudential (PRU), Duke Energy (DUK), Southern Company (SO), and T. Rowe Price (TROW)—raised their quarterly dividends in 2026. PM increased to $1.60 per share, PRU to $1.40, DUK to $1.085, SO to $0.76, and TROW to $1.30. DUK and SO go ex-dividend in mid-November. Each company has a history of consistent dividend growth and varying yield rates.

Southern Co. faces a proposed class-action lawsuit over a data breach affecting 400,000 utility accounts. The plaintiff alleges inadequate protection of customer information, including names, addresses, and partial Social Security numbers. Southern Co. disclosed the breach in October, attributing it to unauthorized access through its online portal. The company is offering free credit monitoring and is investigating the incident.

Rabobank projects U.S. electricity demand to rise 20% by 2030, driven by AI, EV adoption, and manufacturing. Utilities like Dominion (D), Southern (SO), and AEP (AEP) may benefit from infrastructure investments. Independent producers like Constellation (CEG), Vistra (VST), and Talen (TLN) could see more upside from long-term power agreements. Equipment manufacturers GE Vernova (GEV) and Bloom Energy (BE) are also positioned to gain.

Wall Street analysts issued upgrades, downgrades, and initiations for several companies. Block (NYSE: XYZ) was upgraded to Outperform with a $100 target. Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) was upgraded to Buy with a $40 target. Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) was upgraded to Hold with a $400 target. Downgrades included Alcoa (NYSE: AA), Dutch Bros (NYSE: BROS), and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX). Initiations included Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG) and Dick's Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS).

HSBC initiated coverage on Southern Co. (SO) with a buy rating and $99.50 price target, citing 10% upside. The firm forecasts 10% rate base growth (2026-2030) and 8% EPS growth (2026-2030). SO reported Q2 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.13/share, beating estimates, but revenue missed. BMO and Jefferies adjusted price targets but maintained positive outlooks.

BMO Capital reduced its price target for Southern Co. (NYSE:SO) to $98 from $104, citing valuation concerns, while maintaining an Outperform rating. The stock trades at $90.32 with a $104B market cap. BMO expects 2026 EPS of $1.75, above consensus. Southern Co. reported Q2 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.13 per share, beating estimates, but revenue missed expectations. Jefferies lowered its price target to $95 with a Hold rating.

Southern Co (SO) announced a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, matching its previous payout. The forward yield is 3.35%. The dividend is payable on December 7 to shareholders of record on November 16, with an ex-dividend date of November 16.

Jefferies reduced its price target for Southern Co. (NYSE:SO) to $95 from $96, maintaining a Hold rating. The stock trades at $89.27, above InvestingPro's Fair Value estimate of $76.58. The firm cited regulatory and election factors, projecting significant investments and ratebase growth. Southern Co. reported Q2 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.13, beating estimates, but revenue missed expectations at $6.98 billion.

Southern Company (SO) benefits from surging data center electricity demand, with year-over-year growth of 55% in Q2. The company has 17 GW of large-load customer agreements and plans to add 10 GW of new power generation. SO offers a 3.4% dividend yield, requiring a $212,000 investment to earn $600 monthly. The company has a 25-year contract with OpenAI for 3.2 GW of power.

The U.S. DOE-backed Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE) aims to test a fast-spectrum molten chloride salt reactor by 2027. Southern Company, Idaho National Laboratory, and CORE POWER are collaborating. Results may advance commercial use and reduce technical uncertainty. MCRE could support applications beyond electricity, including maritime nuclear power.