Southern Company (SO) Dividend
Dividend Aristocrat — 25 consecutive years of dividend increases.
Southern Company (SO) currently pays a dividend yield of 3.28%, distributing $3.04 per share annually ($0.76 per quarter). The company operates in the Utilities sector.
SO has raised its dividend for 25 consecutive years, making it a Dividend Aristocrat — an S&P 500 company with at least 25 straight years of dividend increases.
SO dividend at a glance
| Dividend Yield | 3.28% |
|---|---|
| Annual Dividend | $3.04 per share |
| Per Payment | $0.76 |
| Payout Frequency | Quarterly |
| Payments per Year | 4 |
| Next Ex-Dividend Date | August 18, 2026 |
| Next Payment Date | September 5, 2026 |
| Payout Ratio | 72% |
| Consecutive Years of Dividend Growth | 25 |
| Sector | Utilities |
| Implied Share Price (from yield) | $92.68 |
What SO pays on a $10,000 investment
At a 3.28% yield, $10,000 invested in SO generates about $328.00 per year, or roughly $82.00 every quarter. Share counts below use an implied price of $92.68, derived from the $3.04 annual dividend and the 3.28% yield.
| Amount Invested | Approx. Shares | Annual Dividend Income | Income per Quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | 10.8 | $32.80 | $8.20 |
| $5,000 | 53.9 | $164.00 | $41.00 |
| $10,000 | 107.9 | $328.00 | $82.00 |
| $25,000 | 269.7 | $820.00 | $205.00 |
| $100,000 | 1,078.9 | $3,280.00 | $820.00 |
These figures assume the dividend and share price stay where they are today. They do not account for taxes, dividend cuts, price movement, or reinvestment. If you reinvest instead of taking the cash, the share count grows each quarter — see how the dividend snowball compounds.
SO dividend payment schedule
SO pays on a quarterly schedule — 4 payments a year. The next confirmed ex-dividend date is August 18, 2026, with payment on September 5, 2026. Later rows are projected forward at the same interval and will shift when Southern Company declares each dividend.
| Ex-Dividend Date | Payment Date | Amount per Share | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 18, 2026 | September 5, 2026 | $0.76 | Confirmed |
| November 18, 2026 | December 6, 2026 | $0.76 | Projected |
| February 18, 2027 | March 8, 2027 | $0.76 | Projected |
| May 18, 2027 | June 5, 2027 | $0.76 | Projected |
To collect a SO dividend you must own the shares before the ex-dividend date. Buy on the ex-date itself and the previous owner keeps that payment. Read how ex-dividend, record, and payment dates fit together.
How SO's dividend compares
Across the 587 dividend stocks and ETFs DivTrkr tracks, the median yield is 3.81%. SO's 3.28% is 0.53 percentage points below that median, ranking 321st of 587 by yield.
Within Utilities, where we track 26 names, the median yield is 3.21% — putting SO above its sector.
Its 25-year run of dividend increases ranks 57th out of the 362 names in our data with an active growth streak.
What the numbers mean
SO pays out roughly 72% of its earnings as dividends. That is on the higher side — still common for utilities and consumer staples, but it leaves less cushion if earnings dip.
Like most US dividend payers, SO distributes quarterly, so a full year of ownership produces four payments.
Whether these payments are taxed at the lower qualified rate or as ordinary income depends on how long you hold the shares and what kind of company pays them. See the qualified vs. ordinary dividend rules.
SO dividend FAQ
When is the next SO ex-dividend date?
The next SO ex-dividend date is August 18, 2026, with the payment scheduled for September 5, 2026. You must own shares before the ex-dividend date to receive that payment.
What is SO's dividend yield?
SO currently yields 3.28%, based on $3.04 in dividends per share over the past year.
How often does SO pay dividends?
SO pays quarterly, which works out to 4 payments per year of about $0.76 per share.
How much dividend income would $10,000 of SO generate?
At the current 3.28% yield, $10,000 invested in SO would produce roughly $328.00 per year, or about $82.00 per quarter, before taxes and assuming the dividend holds.
Has SO increased its dividend?
Yes — SO has raised its dividend for 25 consecutive years. That makes it a Dividend Aristocrat.
SO dividend history
DivTrkr holds 178 recorded SO dividend payments going back to 1982, with 25 consecutive complete years of increases and +2.9% a year of growth over the last five complete years. See the full SO dividend history — every payment, annual totals and growth by year.
Related dividend stocks
Other Utilities dividend payers
- HYG — iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF dividend (5.79%)
- EIX — Edison International dividend (5.12%)
- ES — Eversource Energy dividend (4.36%)
- D — Dominion Energy dividend (3.96%)
- FE — FirstEnergy Corp dividend (3.92%)
- NWN — Northwest Natural Holding Company dividend (3.91%)
- PNW — Pinnacle West Capital dividend (3.60%)
- WEC — WEC Energy Group dividend (3.54%)
Similar yields to SO
- KGS — Kodiak Gas Services, Inc. dividend (3.27%)
- ZIM — ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. dividend (3.27%)
- ED — Consolidated Edison dividend (3.29%)
- MDT — Medtronic PLC dividend (3.30%)
- VSGX — Vanguard ESG International Stock ETF dividend (3.30%)
- USB — U.S. Bancorp dividend (3.25%)
Track SO dividends free with DivTrkr — see exactly what your own position pays, and when. Also browse the full dividend calendar or the A–Z list of dividend stocks.