Southern Company Current Debt

SOJE Stock  USD 20.12  0.30  1.51%   
At present, Southern Company's Net Debt is projected to increase significantly based on the last few years of reporting. The current year's Interest Debt Per Share is expected to grow to 61.97, whereas Long Term Debt is forecasted to decline to about 47.1 B. . Southern Company's financial risk is the risk to Southern Company stockholders that is caused by an increase in debt.
 
Debt Ratio  
First Reported
2010-12-31
Previous Quarter
0.44498353
Current Value
0.3
Quarterly Volatility
0.04659749
 
Credit Downgrade
 
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Covid
Given that Southern Company's debt-to-equity ratio measures a Company's obligations relative to the value of its net assets, it is usually used by traders to estimate the extent to which Southern Company is acquiring new debt as a mechanism of leveraging its assets. A high debt-to-equity ratio is generally associated with increased risk, implying that it has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. Another way to look at debt-to-equity ratios is to compare the overall debt load of Southern Company to its assets or equity, showing how much of the company assets belong to shareholders vs. creditors. If shareholders own more assets, Southern Company is said to be less leveraged. If creditors hold a majority of Southern Company's assets, the Company is said to be highly leveraged.
At present, Southern Company's Change To Liabilities is projected to increase significantly based on the last few years of reporting.
  
Check out the analysis of Southern Company Fundamentals Over Time.
For information on how to trade Southern Stock refer to our How to Trade Southern Stock guide.

Southern Company Financial Rating

Southern Company Series financial ratings play a critical role in determining how much Southern Company have to pay to access credit markets, i.e., the amount of interest on their issued debt. The threshold between investment-grade and speculative-grade ratings has important market implications for Southern Company's borrowing costs.
Piotroski F Score
7
StrongView
Beneish M Score
(5.43)
Unlikely ManipulatorView

Southern Company Common Stock Shares Outstanding Over Time

Southern Company Assets Financed by Debt

The debt-to-assets ratio shows the degree to which Southern Company uses debt to finance its assets. It includes both long-term and short-term borrowings maturing within one year. It also includes both tangible and intangible assets, such as goodwill.

Southern Company Debt Ratio

    
  30.0   
It looks as if about 70% of Southern Company's assets are financed through equity. Typically, companies with high debt-to-asset ratios are said to be highly leveraged. The higher the ratio, the greater risk will be associated with the Southern Company's operation. In addition, a high debt-to-assets ratio may indicate a low borrowing capacity of Southern Company, which in turn will lower the firm's financial flexibility.

Southern Short Long Term Debt Total

Short Long Term Debt Total

66.66 Billion

At present, Southern Company's Short and Long Term Debt Total is projected to increase significantly based on the last few years of reporting.

Understaning Southern Company Use of Financial Leverage

Southern Company's financial leverage ratio helps determine the effect of debt on the overall profitability of the company. It measures Southern Company's total debt position, including all outstanding debt obligations, and compares it with Southern Company's equity. Financial leverage can amplify the potential profits to Southern Company's owners, but it also increases the potential losses and risk of financial distress, including bankruptcy, if Southern Company is unable to cover its debt costs.
Last ReportedProjected for Next Year
Short and Long Term Debt Total63.5 B66.7 B
Net Debt62.7 B65.9 B
Short Term DebtB3.6 B
Long Term Debt51.6 B47.1 B
Long Term Debt Total58.3 B53.5 B
Net Debt To EBITDA 5.34  3.14 
Debt To Equity 1.97  1.12 
Interest Debt Per Share 59.02  61.97 
Debt To Assets 0.44  0.30 
Long Term Debt To Capitalization 0.65  0.43 
Total Debt To Capitalization 0.66  0.46 
Debt Equity Ratio 1.97  1.12 
Debt Ratio 0.44  0.30 
Cash Flow To Debt Ratio 0.12  0.21 
Please read more on our technical analysis page.

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Analyzing currently trending equities could be an opportunity to develop a better portfolio based on different market momentums that they can trigger. Utilizing the top trending stocks is also useful when creating a market-neutral strategy or pair trading technique involving a short or a long position in a currently trending equity.
When determining whether Southern Company is a strong investment it is important to analyze Southern Company's competitive position within its industry, examining market share, product or service uniqueness, and competitive advantages. Beyond financials and market position, potential investors should also consider broader economic conditions, industry trends, and any regulatory or geopolitical factors that may impact Southern Company's future performance. For an informed investment choice regarding Southern Stock, refer to the following important reports:
Check out the analysis of Southern Company Fundamentals Over Time.
For information on how to trade Southern Stock refer to our How to Trade Southern Stock guide.
You can also try the Balance Of Power module to check stock momentum by analyzing Balance Of Power indicator and other technical ratios.
Is Utilities space expected to grow? Or is there an opportunity to expand the business' product line in the future? Factors like these will boost the valuation of Southern Company. If investors know Southern will grow in the future, the company's valuation will be higher. The financial industry is built on trying to define current growth potential and future valuation accurately. All the valuation information about Southern Company listed above have to be considered, but the key to understanding future value is determining which factors weigh more heavily than others.
Return On Equity
0.1204
The market value of Southern Company is measured differently than its book value, which is the value of Southern that is recorded on the company's balance sheet. Investors also form their own opinion of Southern Company's value that differs from its market value or its book value, called intrinsic value, which is Southern Company's true underlying value. Investors use various methods to calculate intrinsic value and buy a stock when its market value falls below its intrinsic value. Because Southern Company's market value can be influenced by many factors that don't directly affect Southern Company's underlying business (such as a pandemic or basic market pessimism), market value can vary widely from intrinsic value.
Please note, there is a significant difference between Southern Company's value and its price as these two are different measures arrived at by different means. Investors typically determine if Southern Company is a good investment by looking at such factors as earnings, sales, fundamental and technical indicators, competition as well as analyst projections. However, Southern Company's price is the amount at which it trades on the open market and represents the number that a seller and buyer find agreeable to each party.

What is Financial Leverage?

Financial leverage is the use of borrowed money (debt) to finance the purchase of assets with the expectation that the income or capital gain from the new asset will exceed the cost of borrowing. In most cases, the debt provider will limit how much risk it is ready to take and indicate a limit on the extent of the leverage it will allow. In the case of asset-backed lending, the financial provider uses the assets as collateral until the borrower repays the loan. In the case of a cash flow loan, the general creditworthiness of the company is used to back the loan. The concept of leverage is common in the business world. It is mostly used to boost the returns on equity capital of a company, especially when the business is unable to increase its operating efficiency and returns on total investment. Because earnings on borrowing are higher than the interest payable on debt, the company's total earnings will increase, ultimately boosting stockholders' profits.

Leverage and Capital Costs

The debt to equity ratio plays a role in the working average cost of capital (WACC). The overall interest on debt represents the break-even point that must be obtained to profitability in a given venture. Thus, WACC is essentially the average interest an organization owes on the capital it has borrowed for leverage. Let's say equity represents 60% of borrowed capital, and debt is 40%. This results in a financial leverage calculation of 40/60, or 0.6667. The organization owes 10% on all equity and 5% on all debt. That means that the weighted average cost of capital is (.4)(5) + (.6)(10) - or 8%. For every $10,000 borrowed, this organization will owe $800 in interest. Profit must be higher than 8% on the project to offset the cost of interest and justify this leverage.

Benefits of Financial Leverage

Leverage provides the following benefits for companies:
  • Leverage is an essential tool a company's management can use to make the best financing and investment decisions.
  • It provides a variety of financing sources by which the firm can achieve its target earnings.
  • Leverage is also an essential technique in investing as it helps companies set a threshold for the expansion of business operations. For example, it can be used to recommend restrictions on business expansion once the projected return on additional investment is lower than the cost of debt.
By borrowing funds, the firm incurs a debt that must be paid. But, this debt is paid in small installments over a relatively long period of time. This frees funds for more immediate use in the stock market. For example, suppose a company can afford a new factory but will be left with negligible free cash. In that case, it may be better to finance the factory and spend the cash on hand on inputs, labor, or even hold a significant portion as a reserve against unforeseen circumstances.

The Risk of Financial Leverage

The most obvious and apparent risk of leverage is that if price changes unexpectedly, the leveraged position can lead to severe losses. For example, imagine a hedge fund seeded by $50 worth of investor money. The hedge fund borrows another $50 and buys an asset worth $100, leading to a leverage ratio of 2:1. For the investor, this is neither good nor bad -- until the asset price changes. If the asset price goes up 10 percent, the investor earns $10 on $50 of capital, a net gain of 20 percent, and is very pleased with the increased gains from the leverage. However, if the asset price crashes unexpectedly, say by 30 percent, the investor loses $30 on $50 of capital, suffering a 60 percent loss. In other words, the effect of leverage is to increase the volatility of returns and increase the effects of a price change on the asset to the bottom line while increasing the chance for profit as well.