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Southern Co.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 November 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 1 lowered, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Earnings rose on weather and usage: Management listed warmer weather, higher usage and customer growth, and revenue from large commercial and industrial customers, plus higher Southern Power earnings, as adjusted drivers, partly offset by higher non-fuel costs, taxes and share dilution. Source
  • Per-share earnings excluding items rose: Excluding items, earnings were $2.2 billion, or $1.94 per share, against $1.8 billion, or $1.60 a year earlier. Reported diluted EPS was $1.76, against $1.54. Source
  • Revenue rose 13% year over year: Operating revenues were $8.8 billion, up 13.0%. Year-to-date operating revenues were $24.2 billion, up 7.3%. Source
  • Southern Power earnings improved despite repowering charges: Southern Power net income available to common was $52 million, against $3 million, after pre-tax repowering charges of $118 million in the quarter. Source
  • Non-fuel O&M expense rose $205 million: Non-fuel operations and maintenance expense was $1,848 million, against $1,643 million, and reduced quarterly EPS by 1 cent in the earnings analysis. Source
  • Debt repurchase and redemption costs: Debt extinguishment costs were $43 million in the quarter and $54 million year to date, from convertible note repurchases and junior subordinated note redemptions. Source

“Our scale, our experience and our customer-focused strategy allow us to serve this growing demand in a responsible and sustainable manner, with the same discipline, credibility and customer focus that have long defined our company.”

Chris Womack, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Accelerated depreciation and decommissioning from repowering, 2026 Source2026approximately $100 million (pre-tax, remaining)Lowered from approximately $205 million
Accelerated depreciation and decommissioning from repowering, 2027 Source2027approximately $135 million (pre-tax, remaining)Raised from approximately $120 million
Repowering project completion Sourcethrough third quarter 2027through the third quarter 2027Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance lowered: The 2026 projection for remaining repowering accelerated depreciation and decommissioning costs fell from approximately $205 million to approximately $100 million. Source
  • Guidance raised: The 2027 projection for remaining repowering accelerated depreciation and decommissioning costs rose from approximately $120 million to approximately $135 million. Source
  • New: Southern Company repurchased certain convertible senior notes in 2026, in addition to redeeming certain junior subordinated notes, with related extinguishment costs of $43 million in the quarter. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Earnings rose on weather and usage: Management listed warmer weather, higher usage and customer growth, and revenue from large commercial and industrial customers, plus higher Southern Power earnings, as adjusted drivers, partly offset by higher non-fuel costs, taxes and share dilution. Source
  • Per-share earnings excluding items rose: Excluding items, earnings were $2.2 billion, or $1.94 per share, against $1.8 billion, or $1.60 a year earlier. Reported diluted EPS was $1.76, against $1.54. Source
  • Revenue rose 13% year over year: Operating revenues were $8.8 billion, up 13.0%. Year-to-date operating revenues were $24.2 billion, up 7.3%. Source
  • Nine-month earnings rose year over year: Reported earnings for the first nine months were $4.6 billion, or $4.02 per share, against $3.9 billion, or $3.56 per share, in the same period of 2025. Source

Segments and regions

  • Traditional utilities' net income rose: Net income for the traditional electric operating companies was $2,272 million, against $1,920 million, and the segment added 32 cents to quarterly EPS as reported. Source
  • Georgia Power revenue and income rose: Georgia Power operating revenues were $4,471 million, up 18.6%. Net income available to common was $1,523 million, up 22.0%. Source
  • Southern Power earnings improved despite repowering charges: Southern Power net income available to common was $52 million, against $3 million, after pre-tax repowering charges of $118 million in the quarter. Source
  • Gas segment income slightly lower: Southern Company Gas operating revenues were $773 million, up 5.3%, while net income available to common was $21 million, against $25 million. Source

“We know how important reliable energy is to our customers and take great pride in improving the communities and states we are privileged to serve.”

Chris Womack, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company

Products and customers

  • Residential sales up, flat weather-adjusted: Residential kilowatt-hour sales rose 10.2% in the quarter, but rose 1.3% after weather adjustment. Source
  • Commercial sales led weather-adjusted growth: Commercial kilowatt-hour sales rose 10.1% in the quarter, or 7.3% weather-adjusted, and rose 7.4% for the nine months. Source
  • Industrial sales rose modestly: Industrial kilowatt-hour sales rose 2.5% in the quarter, or 1.8% weather-adjusted, and rose 1.4% for the nine months. Source

Costs, pricing and margins

  • Non-fuel O&M expense rose $205 million: Non-fuel operations and maintenance expense was $1,848 million, against $1,643 million, and reduced quarterly EPS by 1 cent in the earnings analysis. Source
  • Taxes other than income taxes rose: Taxes other than income taxes were $434 million, against $288 million in the prior-year quarter, and $1,265 million year to date, against $1,136 million. Source
  • Retail pricing added to earnings: Retail revenue impacts added 21 cents to quarterly EPS, and weather added 15 cents, against 19 cents and 9 cents for the nine months. Source
  • Interest expense increased: Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized, was $842 million, against $755 million, a quarterly reduction of 11 cents to EPS in the analysis. Source

Demand and sales volumes

  • Southeast growth described as unprecedented: Chairman, president and CEO Chris Womack described Southeast growth as unprecedented and transformational, and said the company is well positioned. Source
  • Total sales grew in quarter and nine months: Total kilowatt-hour sales rose 7.3% in the quarter to 60,790 million and 5.0% for the nine months to 162,775 million. Source
  • Wholesale sales grew: Wholesale kilowatt-hour sales rose 6.2% in the quarter and 9.2% for the nine months; the filing shows weather-adjusted wholesale figures as N/A. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Share count rose, diluting EPS: Average shares outstanding were 1,157 million, against 1,102 million, and the increase in shares reduced quarterly EPS by 9 cents. Source
  • Debt repurchase and redemption costs: Debt extinguishment costs were $43 million in the quarter and $54 million year to date, from convertible note repurchases and junior subordinated note redemptions. Source
  • Equity funds during construction rose: Allowance for equity funds used during construction was $140 million, against $90 million, and $388 million year to date, against $243 million. Source
  • Equity-method earnings rose: Earnings from equity method investments were $77 million, against $33 million, and $213 million year to date, against $76 million. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Repowering costs run until completion: Accelerated depreciation and decommissioning from wind repowering continues until each project is complete, with completion projected through the third quarter of 2027. Source
  • Elizabethtown tax refund recognized: Southern Company Gas recognized a $9 million state income tax refund tied to the 2018 Elizabethtown Gas disposition, partly offset by $2 million of contingency fees. Source
  • Vogtle tax charge from Georgia rate: Income tax charges of $4 million for the nine months relate to remeasuring deferred tax assets tied to the Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 loss, after a Georgia tax rate change. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Customer growth SourceTotal regulated utility customers 8,996 thousand, up 0.7%
Load growth SourceTotal retail sales up 7.7%; 3.5% weather-adjusted

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Further charges are possible on Nicor Gas capital investments disallowed by the Illinois Commerce Commission, with amount and timing not set. Source
  • Financial: Further charges or credits are possible on Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4, with amount and timing not set. Source
  • Financial: Further debt extinguishment costs may arise at Southern Company or its unregulated subsidiaries, with amount and timing not set. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Dismantlement of the abandoned Kemper County gasifier-related assets was completed at the end of 2025, with site restoration substantially complete. Source
  • Met: Site demobilization efforts for Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 were completed in the third quarter of 2025. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.