Dernières nouvelles pour Southern (NYSE:SO) Stock

Southern

Southern is one of the largest utilities in the U.S. The company serves 9 million customers with vertically integrated electric utilities in three states and natural gas distribution utilities in four states. It owns 50 gigawatts of rate-regulated generating capacity, primarily for serving customers in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Subsidiary Southern Power owns 13 gigawatts of natural gas generation and renewable energy across the U.S. and sells the electricity primarily under long-term contracts.

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Guggenheim analyst Shahriar Pourreza maintains Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $93 to $97.

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Guggenheim Maintains Buy on Southern, Raises Price Target to $97

While the S&amp;P 500 is up 20.30% year-to-date, utilities — tracked by Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLU#NYSE">XLU</a>) — <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/utilities">have surged by 26.99%</a>. 
The sector is outpacing the market's biggest names, including tech and communication services.
The leaders posting significant gains in this space include NextEra Energy Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NEE#NYSE">NEE</a>), Southern Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) and Duke Energy Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DUK#NYSE">DUK</a>). But it&#8217;s Vistra Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VST#NYSE">VST</a>) and Constellation Energy Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CEG#NASDAQ">CEG</a>) that are embracing the AI revolution to supercharge their growth.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Vistra, Constellation: The New Tech Titans?</h2>
Vistra stock has rocketed 205.61% this year, becoming the top-performing stock in the S&amp;P 500. With its focus on nuclear energy, it's carving a niche in powering AI data centers.
Constellation Energy is up 119.86%, and has similarly thrived. The company struck deals with Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) to fuel the tech giant's AI and cloud infrastructure with clean nuclear energy.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/40957437">Microsoft Taps Constellation For 20-Year Carbon-Free Power – 3,400 Jobs Coming To Pennsylvania</a>
These partnerships make utilities a surprising AI play, blending old-school reliability with cutting-edge tech applications. The newfound relevance of nuclear power in the AI era is a growth driver that no one saw coming.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Are Utilities The New Safe Haven?</h2>
While utilities have long been a defensive play, their AI adoption has turned them into a growth story. 
Funds like the Virtus Reaves Utilities ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UTES#NYSE">UTES</a>), an actively managed fund, are gaining attention. With over 40% year-to-date returns, it's outperforming traditional market-weighted sector peers. UTES' smart bets on Vistra and Constellation have paid off handsomely, proving that even "boring" sectors can surprise investors.
Looking ahead, the rise of electrification-themed ETFs, such as those filed by Global X and Tema, suggests that utilities may continue to thrive in the AI-driven future.
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Utilities Outpace S&P 500, Fueled By AI: These 2 Stocks Lead The Charge

Hurricane Helene and the aftermath of the Category 4 storm have left over 100 people dead, millions without power and destruction not seen in decades in several states since making<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41073069/hurricane-helene-update-28-dead-power-outages-insurance-damages-and-more"> landfall Thursday night.</a>
What Happened: The hurricane, which shut down airports, roads and bridges, theme parks and sporting contests<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/sports/24/09/41053573/hurricane-helene-disrupts-flights-sports-events-disney-operations-affected-regions-stocks-to-watch"> ahead of the storm&#8217;s landfall,</a> further devastated the states in its path after making landfall.
At least 102 people are dead across the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia, as reported by <a href="https://www.cnn.com/weather/live-news/hurricane-helene-florida-north-carolina-georgia-09-30-24/index.html">CNN</a>.
With more than 100 dead, Hurricane Helene now ranks as one of the deadliest hurricanes to hit the U.S. in the last 50 years. Hurricane Katrina had 1,833 fatalities and remains the worst storm in the last 50 years. Helene ranks third behind Katrina and Hurricane Ian, which caused 150 deaths.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Hurricane Helene "spared no one" when it came to the storm path.
"It looks like a tornado went off, it looks like a bomb went off," Kemp said.
Regions in North Carolina and South Carolina received four to five months worth of rain over a three-day period.
The federal government has declared a public health emergency for Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Federal disaster declarations have been made for Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
President Joe Biden is set to visit some of the impacted areas later this week "as soon as it will not disrupt emergency response operations," the White House said. Former President Donald Trump is set to visit areas impacted by the hurricane on Monday.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41082452/hurricane-helene-exposes-vulnerability-of-floridas-home-insurance-market">Hurricane Helene Exposes Vulnerability Of Florida&#8217;s Home Insurance Market</a>
North Carolina Hit Hard: Among the states most affected by Hurricane Helene is North Carolina, with Buncombe County, home of the city of Asheville, accounting for at least 40 of the storm fatalities. 
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called Hurricane Helene "one of the worst storms in modern history."
Over 200 roads are closed in North Carolina as of Monday, with many people still unaccounted for, meaning the fatality count could rise in the coming days.
The hurricane damage in North Carolina could impact several key <a href="https://www.commerce.nc.gov/business/key-industries-north-carolina">industries</a>, with the state&#8217;s plastics/chemical workforce being one of the country&#8217;s largest, as well as North Carolina being a large employer in the automotive sector, the home of several large financial companies, the second largest turbine manufacturer and a key semiconductor manufacturer.
The state is one of the largest textile manufacturers in the country and is the home of Hanesbrands Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HBI#NYSE">HBI</a>).
Fourteen of the Fortune 500 companies call North Carolina home, including Bank of America (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>) and Lowe's Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LOW#NYSE">LOW</a>).
Lowe's and peer home improvement company Home Depot (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HD#NYSE">HD</a>) are among the companies that could benefit from the restoration efforts in the region and the home repairs and rebuilds needed in the coming months.
Power Outages: Over 4 million homes had no power as of Friday across Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
As of Monday morning, 2 million homes and businesses remain without power.
Duke Energy (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DUK#NYSE">DUK</a>), which is headquartered in North Carolina, offers utilities to several of the states impacted by the storm. The company <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duke-energys-hurricane-helene-recovery-restores-power-to-more-than-1-1-million-in-south-and-north-carolina-downed-trees-blocked-roadways-damaged-and-destroyed-power-equipment-impeding-efforts-in-the-sc-upstate-region-and-nc-302261927.html">said </a>it has restored power to more than 1.1 million people in North Carolina and South Carolina with over 900,000 customers still without power as of Sunday night, primarily in the Carolinas. 
Helen&#8217;s aftermath could be a long process for Duke Energy, which is a publicly traded company.
"Based on what we can see on the ground, from helicopter and by drone, there are lots of areas across the South Carolina Upstate and North Carolina mountains where we're going to have to completely rebuild parts of our system, not just repair it," Duke Energy storm director for the Carolinas Jason Hollifield said.
Georgia Power, which is a unit of Southern Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>), is another utility company that <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/georgia-power-releases-key-estimated-damage-statistics-from-hurricane-helene-as-restoration-progress-continues-302261899.html">faced </a>heavy power outages. The company said Sunday that it had restored power for around 690,000 customers and around 425,000 are still without power.
The utility company said Hurricane Helene was the "most destructive hurricane" in company history. The company estimates it will have to replace or repair over 5,000 power poles, over 9,000 spans of wire and over 500 transformers.
Generator company Generac Holdings (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GNRC#NYSE">GNRC</a>) could see a lift in the current quarter with heavy purchases likely to have been made ahead of the storm.
Insurance Impact: After the hurricane hit an area of Florida with a lower population than other regions, a report from the Miami Herald said the losses from the storm could be modest for the state's insurance market and smaller than Hurricane Ian (2022) and Hurricane Michael (2018).
Ahead of the storm, a report from reinsurance company Gallagher Re, which is a unit of Arthur J. Gallagher &amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AJG#NYSE">AJG</a>), said private insurers' losses could come in a range of $3 billion to $6 billion across multiple states.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>)(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>), Allstate Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALL#NYSE">ALL</a>) and Travelers Companies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRV#NYSE">TRV</a>) are among the publicly traded companies that could be impacted by the insurance claims from the hurricane.
 A new report from AccuWeather, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/live-blog/helene-deadly-storm-live-updates-rcna173203">shared </a>by NBC News, says the total damage from the storm and the economic loss could total a range of $145 billion to $160 billion. The previous AccuWeather estimate was a range of $95 billion to $100 billion.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/09/41028495/will-hurricane-helene-disrupt-floridas-cannabis-industry-trulieve-ceo-says-co-is-locked-and-load">Will Hurricane Helene Disrupt Florida&#8217;s Cannabis Industry? Trulieve CEO Says Co. Is &#8216;Locked And Loaded, Not Our First Storm Rodeo&#8217;</a></li>
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Photo via Shutterstock.

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Hurricane Helene: 102 Dead, 2 Million Without Power After Storm Destruction In 6 States

Morgan Stanley analyst Stephen Byrd maintains Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) with a Equal-Weight and raises the price target from $78 to $82.

Morgan Stanley Maintains Equal-Weight on Southern, Raises Price Target to $82

UBS analyst Daniel Ford maintains Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) with a Neutral and raises the price target from $90 to $91.

UBS Maintains Neutral on Southern, Raises Price Target to $91

Jefferies analyst Julien Dumoulin-Smith initiates coverage on Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) with a Hold rating and announces Price Target of $94.

Initiation

Jefferies Initiates Coverage On Southern with Hold Rating, Announces Price Target of $94

Mizuho analyst Anthony Crowdell downgrades Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) from Outperform to Neutral and maintains the price target from $90 to $90.

Downgrades

Mizuho Downgrades Southern to Neutral, Maintains Price Target to $90

PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PYPL#NASDAQ">PYPL</a>)<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40781082/whats-going-on-with-paypal-stock"> is a buy</a>, according to CNBC's Jim Cramer. 
On Monday, PayPal disclosed an expansion of its strategic partnership with Shopify Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SHOP#NYSE">SHOP</a>) in the U.S. 
Per the deal, PayPal will become an additional credit and debit card processor for Shopify Payments through its PayPal Complete Payments solution, providing flexible and advanced developer tools for marketplaces and platforms.
Cramer, on the latest &#8220;Mad Money Lightning Round,&#8221; said Rivian (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RIVN#NASDAQ">RIVN</a>) has &#8220;got the money to be able to make it. That doesn't mean that the stock is a buy, it does mean they're going to make it. So, I would say you've got to let it percolate. But it's not anytime soon.&#8221;
The recent $5 billion deal between Volkswagen (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VWAGY#OTC">VWAGY</a>) and U.S. electric vehicle start-up Rivian Automotive has reportedly stirred up discontent among employees at the German automaker's software division Cariad.
&#8220;I think you're fine,&#8221; Cramer said when asked about The Southern Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>). &#8220;Let's say it's a baby growth story.&#8221;
On Aug. 29, Bank of America Securities analyst Julien Dumoulin-Smith maintained Southern with a Neutral and raised the price target from $86 to $87.
The Mad Money host said he is concerned about CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVS#NYSE">CVS</a>). &#8220;Let's just keep it on ice for the moment,&#8221; he added.
On Sept. 10, Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Sarah James reiterated CVS Health with a Neutral and maintained a $62 price target.
The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HD#NYSE">HD</a>) is &#8220;good,&#8221; Cramer said.
On Aug. 13, HD reported second-quarter 2024 sales growth of 0.6% year-over-year to $43.175 billion, marginally missing the consensus estimate of $43.376 billion. Adjusted EPS was $4.67 (-0.2% year over year), beating the consensus of $4.50.
Cramer said he doesn't have anything to say about Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NYSE">PLTR</a>), adding that it is a &#8220;cold stock.&#8221;
On Sept. 6, S&amp;P Dow Jones Indices announced that Palantir Technologies will be added to the S&amp;P 500 Index, effective prior to the start of trading on Sept. 23.
Cramer said he is a buyer of Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ET#NYSE">ET</a>).
On Aug. 9, Energy Transfer announced a secondary public offering of 38,755,996 of its common units.
Price Action:
<ul>
<li>PayPal shares rose 0.7% to settle at $69.35 on Wednesday.</li>
<li>Rivian shares rose 5.3% to close at $13.93 during Wednesday's session.</li>
<li>Palantir shares gained 0.3% to settle at $34.85.</li>
<li>Energy Transfer shares rose 0.3% to close at $15.87.</li>
<li>Southern shares fell 1% to close at $88.77 during Wednesday's session.</li>
<li>CVS fell 1.5% to settle at $56.11 during the session.</li>
<li>Home Depot shares fell 0.1% to close at $370.49 on Wednesday.</li>
</ul>
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/top-stories/24/09/40813043/jim-cramer-not-the-time-to-own-oil-when-asked-about-exxon-mobil-says-ibm-is-performing-well">Jim Cramer: &#8216;Not The Time To Own Oil,&#8217; When Asked About Exxon Mobil; Says IBM Is &#8216;Performing Well&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

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PYPL

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SHOP

VWAGY

PayPal Is A Buy, Jim Cramer Says: As For Rivian? 'Let It Percolate'

The utilities sector has emerged as the top-performing sector within the S&amp;P 500 <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets">so far in 2024</a>.
As of Sept. 11, the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLU#NYSE">XLU</a>) has surged 22% year-to-date, outpacing all other sectors and even surpassing the technology sector – tracked by the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLK#NYSE">XLK</a>) – by 9 percentage points.
This marks a significant turnaround for utilities, which trailed tech by 40 percentage points in 2023.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Chart: Utilities Sector Outperforms S&amp;P 500, Tech Stocks In 2024</h3>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="445" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/11161618/image-89-1024x445.png" alt="" class="wp-image-543220" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/11161618/image-89-1024x445.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/11161618/image-89-300x130.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/11161618/image-89-768x334.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/11161618/image-89-1536x667.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/11161618/image-89.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image: <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent091124&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">Benzinga Pro</a></figcaption></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Drivers Behind The Utility Sector Surge</h3>
The robust performance of utilities stocks in 2024 has caught many investors by surprise, especially given the broader market&#8217;s focus on growth sectors like technology in recent years. 
&#8220;There is an undeniable defensive undertone here, as defensive stocks like utilities and consumer staples are leading the charge. The lack of momentum in the previously unstoppable &#8216;Magnificent 7&#8217; tech stocks could be signaling a shift in market sentiment,&#8221; analyst Michael Gayed.
This move toward defensive assets is particularly significant amid rising concerns over macroeconomic volatility and an increasingly unpredictable interest rate environment.
Bank of America recently raised its outlook for the utilities sector to Overweight, citing a combination of income and quality characteristics, which have become increasingly attractive as volatility rises.
&#8220;Client flows have suggested no love for the sector, but single stocks have begun to see inflows in recent weeks and ETF flows have begun to trend positively since the spring,&#8221; analysts at Bank of America highlighted.
&#8220;It's remarkable that the most defensive sector of the S&amp;P 500 has officially become the year&#8217;s top performer, despite the widespread consensus that the economy is doing well,&#8221; Otavio Costa, a macro strategist at Crescat Capital, said in a post on social media X.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Utilities Meet Rising Demand For AI-Driven Data Centers</h3>
Indeed, a critical factor boosting the utilities sector is the rising demand for electricity tied to the growth of AI-linked data centers. 
Carly Davenport, an analyst at Goldman Sachs, highlighted this trend in a note, saying, &#8220;Data center growth is starting to contribute meaningfully to power demand, and we've seen further positive revisions to the pipeline.&#8221;
Goldman Sachs estimates that data centers will be the largest driver of U.S. power demand growth, contributing around 90 basis points (bps) to the nation&#8217;s 2.4% power demand compound annual growth rate through 2030. 
This increase in demand is expected to lead to incremental capital investments in transmission and generation capacity, potentially driving further upside for utilities stocks over the next several years.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Top-Performing Utility Stocks in 2024</h3>
Several utility companies have experienced outsized gains this year, driven by strong earnings, strategic investments, and sectoral tailwinds. Here&#8217;s a look at the top-performing utility stocks year-to-date through Sept. 11:
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Name</td>
<td>Price Chg. % (YTD)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Vistra Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VST#NYSE">VST</a>)</td>
<td>107.95%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Constellation Energy Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CEG#NYSE">CEG</a>)</td>
<td>60.22%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NRG#NYSE">NRG</a>)</td>
<td>54.88%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NEE#NYSE">NEE</a>)</td>
<td>37.39%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PEG#NYSE">PEG</a>)</td>
<td>34.52%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AEP#NYSE">AEP</a>)</td>
<td>26.86%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>The Southern Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>)</td>
<td>26.63%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/09/40794070/exclusive-lazard-small-cap-expert-predicts-30-50-russell-2000-rally-on-the-back-of-">EXCLUSIVE: Lazard Small-Cap Expert Predicts 30%-50% Russell 2000 Rally On The Back Of Lower Interest Rates (UPDATED)</a></li>
</ul>
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Economics

This Under-The-Radar Defensive AI Sector Quietly Outperforms All Others, Despite Receiving 'No Love' From Investors

B of A Securities analyst Julien Dumoulin-Smith maintains Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) with a Neutral and raises the price target from $86 to $87.

B of A Securities Maintains Neutral on Southern, Raises Price Target to $87

A decommissioned nuclear power plant in Michigan is being brought back to life.
Pushed by a growing need for carbon-free energy, the Palisades nuclear power plant will be the first in the U.S. to be recommissioned after shutting down.
The Palisades plant was built in the late 1960s and began running in 1973. It was purchased in 2006 by Louisiana-based electricity producer Entergy Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ETR#NYSE">ETR</a>), which ran it until 2022.
Although the plant had a license extension that allowed it to be active until 2031, Entergy chose to shut it down, citing the high costs associated with running a nuclear power plant.
The plant was sold to nuclear equipment provider Holtec International, which was in charge of taking the plant out of commission.
In 2022, Holtec announced plans to re-open the facility, something that has never been done before in the U.S.
This year, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a commitment of $1.52 billion in loans to finance the restoration and resumption of service of the plant in the hands of Holtec.
According to a WSJ <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/biden-nuclear-power-plant-loan-michigan-eee64904?mod=hp_lead_pos7">report</a>, the company is now working on restoring the facility to modern-day standards. The plant will be back online by October 2025, according to the company's plans.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Nuclear Gets Revamped&nbsp;</h3>
A growing need for electricity is behind the renewed interest in nuclear energy.
In a recent interview with Elon Musk, former President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/08/40329545/trump-left-shocked-by-power-hungry-ai-tells-elon-musk-requires-twice-the-energy-that-the-country-alr">expressed shock at the amount of electricity required</a> to fuel artificial intelligence systems.
The AI revolution is<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/06/39489296/as-the-ai-race-rages-on-depletion-of-energy-and-water-resources-poses-a-new-threat"> doubling demand for data center power</a> and will eventually consume <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/24/04/38163078/ai-could-consume-25-of-us-power-by-2030-the-more-information-they-gather-the-more-power-it-takes-war">25% of all U.S. power </a>by 2030, according to Arm Holdings PLC &#8211; ADR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>) CEO Rene Haas.
<a href="https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/AI-poised-to-drive-160-increase-in-power-demand">According</a> to Goldman Sachs, data centers will use 8% of U.S. power by 2030, up from 3% in 2022.
Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates recently said to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39543587/bill-gates-dismisses-concerns-that-big-techs-investment-in-power-hungry-ai-says-it-will-ultimately-o">"not go overboard" with panic over energy-hungry AI systems</a>, as investment from Big Tech companies into clean energy might help boost the shift toward green energy production.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/40409572">Nvidia AI Dominance Challenged By Asian Startups Betting On Energy-Efficient And Cost-Effective Silicon — &#8216;Inference&#8217; And &#8216;Training&#8217; Chips Emerge As Key Focus</a>
The Biden administration has placed a high bet on the ability of nuclear power to free the country from its dependency on fossil fuels to produce energy.&nbsp;
Fossil fuels account for 60% of U.S. electricity production, according to the Energy information Administration.
The Biden White House has set the goal of having a zero-emission power grid by 2035 and has included several tax credits and other incentives for nuclear within the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/inflation-reduction-act">Inflation Reduction Act of 2022</a>.
The government recently set-up <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/06/39553699/us-to-invest-2-7b-in-domestic-uranium-cutting-reliance-on-russia">a $2.7-billion investment in U.S.-made uranium</a> to decrease dependency on Russian imports.
Interest in nuclear power dropped as fracking practices opened the floodgates for cheap natural gas, which lowered the cost of burning gas to produce electricity.
Isolated nuclear plant accidents helped strengthen public rejection of the technology. These include the meltdown of the Three Mile Island reactor in 1979, the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 in Ukraine and the Fukushima accident in Japan in 2011.
High construction costs and continuing concerns regarding the storage of nuclear waste continued to weigh against the development of new nuclear energy projects in recent decades.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">New Projects Come Online</h3>
The nuclear sector might be getting a new push. A Pew Research Center <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/08/05/majority-of-americans-support-more-nuclear-power-in-the-country/">survey</a> from May of this year found that support for nuclear power in the U.S. has grown consistently throughout the last 10 years. 
Today, 56% of U.S. adults support the development of nuclear energy projects.
The U.S. has 94 active nuclear reactors, down from a peak of 111 in the late 1990s. These exist in 54 nuclear power plants in 28 states.
The two newest reactors launched commercial operations in 2023 and 2024 at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Georgia. They're operated by Southern Nuclear, a subsidiary of Southern Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>).
The two reactors cost $35 billion to build, <a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/after-vogtle-whats-next-for-nuclear/">according</a> to E&amp;E News.
Some companies working on advanced reactor designs are looking to obtain licenses from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build new reactors.
Nuscale Power Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMR#NYSE">SMR</a>), a company developing small modular reactors, canceled its project to build a six-reactor, 462-megawatt plant in Utah in 2023 after several municipalities pulled out due to high construction costs, Reuters reported.
The company is expecting to deploy two dozen small modular reactors for plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania, per E&amp;E News.
Other companies are developing new projects that still need demonstrations to become mainstream technology.
Kairos Power is developing a test reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to test its fluoride salt-cooled, high temperature reactor technology. The company has received a $303-million pledge from the Department of Energy to complete this project.
Earlier this month, TerraPower, a company founded by Bill Gates, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39263769/bill-gates-terrapower-ventures-into-advanced-nuclear-plant-construction-aiming-to-combat-climate-cri">started building its first advanced reactor in Wyoming</a>, which, like Kairos', doesn't use water for cooling.
ETFs To Watch
<ul>
<li>The VanEck Uranium and Nuclear Energy ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NLR#NYSE">NLR</a>) which follows the nuclear power sector, gained 0.21% Tuesday and is up 2.4% in the last five trading days.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Global X Uranium ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/URA#NYSE">URA</a>), following the global uranium market, is up 4.3% in the last five trading days.</li>
</ul>
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/07/39755062/nano-nuclears-18m-upsized-offering-eyes-funding-for-advanced-micro-nuclear-reactor-designs">Nano Nuclear&#8217;s $18M Upsized Offering: Eyes Funding for Advanced Micro Nuclear Reactor Designs</a></li>
</ul>
Palisades Nuclear Plant photo via Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

General

Power-Hungry AI Revives Interest In Nuclear Energy: Michigan To Reopen Closed Plant For First Time In History

Morgan Stanley analyst Stephen Byrd maintains Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) with a Equal-Weight and raises the price target from $72 to $78.

Morgan Stanley Maintains Equal-Weight on Southern, Raises Price Target to $78

Scotiabank analyst Andrew Weisel maintains Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) with a Sector Outperform and raises the price target from $87 to $96.

Scotiabank Maintains Sector Outperform on Southern, Raises Price Target to $96

JP Morgan analyst Jeremy Tonet maintains Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) with a Underweight and raises the price target from $80 to $87.

JP Morgan Maintains Underweight on Southern, Raises Price Target to $87

Wolfe Research analyst Steve Fleishman downgrades Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) from Outperform to Peer Perform.

Wolfe Research Downgrades Southern to Peer Perform

Scotiabank analyst Andrew Weisel maintains Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) with a Sector Outperform and raises the price target from $77 to $87.

Scotiabank Maintains Sector Outperform on Southern, Raises Price Target to $87

Wells Fargo analyst Neil Kalton maintains Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) with a Equal-Weight and raises the price target from $77 to $89.

Wells Fargo Maintains Equal-Weight on Southern, Raises Price Target to $89

BMO Capital analyst James Thalacker maintains Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) with a Outperform and raises the price target from $87 to $94.

BMO Capital Maintains Outperform on Southern, Raises Price Target to $94

Goldman Sachs analyst Carly Davenport maintains Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $83 to $94.

Goldman Sachs Maintains Buy on Southern, Raises Price Target to $94

Southern Co. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/so#NYSE">SO</a>) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.09 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.91 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.79 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 19.78%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this power company would post earnings of $0.90 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.03, delivering a surprise of 14.44%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.
Southern Co., which belongs to the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry, posted revenues of $6.46 billion for the quarter ended June 2024, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.26%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $5.75 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock&#39;s immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management&#39;s commentary on the earnings call.
Southern Co. Shares have added about 19.1% since the beginning of the year versus the S&amp;P 500&#39;s gain of 15.8%.
<h2>What&#39;s Next for Southern Co.</h2>
While Southern Co. Has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors&#39; minds is: what&#39;s next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company&#39;s earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Southern Co. Mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company&#39;s just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.48 on $7.27 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $4.01 on $26.52 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Utility - Electric Power is currently in the top 27% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
One other stock from the same industry, Vistra Corp. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/vst#NYSE">VST</a>), is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2024. The results are expected to be released on August 8.
This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.59 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +54.4%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 5% lower over the last 30 days to the current level.
Vistra Corp.&#39;s revenues are expected to be $4.15 billion, up 30.3% from the year-ago quarter.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2313952/southern-co-so-beats-q2-earnings-and-revenue-estimates?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-tale_of_the_tape|yseop_template_4-2313952">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

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