Is Southern Company Dividend Safe?

The dividend metrics and business fundamentals of Southern Company are similar to those of other regulated utilities. However, the company’s debt load and cost overruns on large expansion projects must be continuously monitored.

In the near future, I do not expect the dividend will be reduced.

However, there is a risk.

The Utility Forecaster score does not imply a reduction in the dividend.

It simply indicates it is riskier than many of the other 200+ dividend-paying equities they track.

Is Southern Company A Good Investment?

Southern Company investors have had a great run, as the company has outpaced the S&P 500 for over four decades. The corporation is putting money into a new energy mix that includes a lot more nuclear power. Despite greater investments, the corporation has successfully managed its balance sheet.

What dividend does Southern Company pay?

/PRNewswire/ — ATLANTA, Oct. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — — Southern Company stated today that its common stock would receive a regular quarterly dividend of 66 cents per share, payable on December 6, 2021, to shareholders of record on November 15, 2021.

Is it safe to live off dividends?

The most important thing to most investors is a secure retirement. Many people’s assets are put into accounts that are only for that reason. Living off your money once you retire, on the other hand, might be just as difficult as investing for a decent retirement.

The majority of withdrawal strategies require a combination of bond interest income and stock sales to satisfy the remaining balance. This is why the renowned four-percent rule in personal finance persists. The four-percent rule aims to provide a continuous inflow of income to retirees while also maintaining a sufficient account balance to continue for many years. What if there was a method to extract 4% or more out of your portfolio each year without selling shares and lowering your principal?

Investing in dividend-paying equities, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds is one strategy to boost your retirement income (ETFs). Dividend payments produce cash flow that might complement your Social Security and pension income over time. It may even give all of the funds necessary to sustain your pre-retirement lifestyle. If you plan ahead, it is feasible to survive off dividends.

Is Southern Company stock undervalued?

Southern Company The is now rated a Zacks Rank 3 on Zacks’ proprietary data, and we estimate an inline return from the SO shares relative to the market in the coming months. Furthermore, Southern Company The has a B VGM Score (this is a weighted average of the individual Style Scores which allow you to focus on the stocks that best fit your personal trading style). Southern Company The may be cheap, according to valuation criteria. With a Bargain Score of B, it’s a fantastic choice for value investors. SO’s financial strength and development prospects show that it has the ability to outperform the market. It has a current Growth Score of C. With a Momentum Score of B, recent price fluctuations and earnings estimate revisions indicate that this is a good stock for momentum investors.

Did Southern Company pay dividends in 2020?

Southern Company stated today that its common stock will receive a standard quarterly dividend of 66 cents per share, payable on September 1st. Southern Company has given a dividend to its shareholders that is equal to or larger than the prior quarter for more than 70 years.

What is AT&T dividend yield?

21st of April, 2020 The stock’s estimated dividend yield has risen to 8.23 percent, making it the second-highest yielding stock in the S&P 500 SPX, +1.26 percent, only behind Lumen Technologies Inc.’s LUMN, -1.33 percent yield of 8.27 percent. In comparison, the S&P 500’s estimated yield is 1.39 percent.

How do I make $500 a month in dividends?

Here’s a five-step approach to get you started on your path to building a monthly dividend portfolio. This will take some time to create unless you have a huge sum of money ready to invest. That’s OK.

Open a brokerage account for your dividend portfolio, if you don’t have one already

The initial step will be to open a brokerage account if you don’t already have one. Examine the brokerage company’s trading commission fees and minimum standards. Many prominent brokerage firms have decreased their trade commissions to zero in 2019.

The move to zero commissions per trade is beneficial to you because it allows you to expand your dividend portfolio with smaller purchases without incurring expenses.

Also, double-check any minimum account balances, as some companies impose a fee for having an account if the balance falls below a particular amount. Many organizations have dropped their balance minimums to $0, like they did in 2019, but always double-check.

You’ll need to determine whether you want to open a conventional brokerage account or a tax-deferred retirement account when you open your account and begin your approach. Consider speaking with your preferred tax professional to figure out what makes the most sense for your unique scenario.

Finally, make sure you understand how to make a direct deposit into your new account as well as how to make a transfer from your current checking account. Consistently adding to an investing portfolio of any size is crucial to its success. By removing a step from the process, automation makes it easier to achieve your objectives. Also, if your employer does not offer direct deposit, you can transfer funds from your bank account.

If you have money set aside to add to your portfolio, begin transferring it to your new account as soon as it is available. Then look at your budget to see how much you can put aside each month.

Determine how much you can save and invest each month

To earn $500 in dividends every month, you’ll need to invest about $200,000 in dividend equities. The exact amount will be determined by the dividend yields of the equities in your portfolio.

Examine your finances more closely and determine how much money you can set aside each month to expand your portfolio. Given the large sum of money you’ll need to reach your $500 monthly dividend objective, adding to your portfolio on a regular basis will help.

The amount of money you have available to invest each month will influence how long it takes you to attain your objective.

Set away what you can if your budget is currently tight. Begin with a tiny quantity so that you have something to work with.

Then, take a closer look at your budget to see if there are any areas where you can cut costs so you can put that money to better use.

Set a smaller, short-term dividend objective so you can see how far you’ve come toward your larger goal. Perhaps a target of $50 or $100 per month in dividends is something you can achieve this year. It’s a good starting point for constructing a larger monthly dividend portfolio in the future.

Set up direct deposit to your dividend portfolio account

To amend your paycheck instructions, get the direct deposit details for your brokerage account. Because you still need money in your regular checking account, your employer should allow you to split your income in several ways. Make sure you pay your expenses as well as invest in your future earnings!

You should be able to set up free account transfer instructions within your brokerage account if you’ve run out of paycheck instructions or your brokerage business doesn’t have clear direct deposit instructions. Make a note on your calendar to manually transfer the money you intend to invest each payday. If the first option isn’t available, there’s usually a backup plan in place.

Choose stocks that fit your dividend strategy

Stock picking is a very personal decision that necessitates extensive research about each firm in which you choose to invest. When putting together a dividend portfolio, there are a few considerations to keep in mind for each company:

  • How long they’ve been paying a dividend and how often they’ve increased it.

The financial condition and earnings of the company can help you determine how safe future dividend payments will be. When deciding which stocks to buy, it’s crucial to do some research on the firm and read some feedback.

The company’s dividend history and payment rise trends can help you predict when it will pay out in the future. Stocks with rising dividends might also help you reach your dividend targets.

Finally, understanding the industries in which the companies you choose to invest are located allows you to build a well-balanced and diverse portfolio. Risk management entails avoiding putting all of your eggs in one basket. Diversifying your portfolio’s companies and industries helps spread the risk of future dividend earnings.

Another factor to consider is when the corporation pays its dividends. If you wish to earn dividends on a monthly basis, seek for companies that have set payout schedules. That isn’t to argue that a historical payout schedule should be used to determine whether you should purchase or sell a stock. It simply adds to the complexity of your decision-making process.

Create a watchlist of companies you think you’ll like to invest in so that when you have the funds, you can begin purchasing shares to increase your dividend income.

Buy shares of dividend stocks

Finally, start buying shares of stock in the firms you wish to focus on to meet your monthly dividend objective. When it’s time to make a purchase, you’ll have cash on hand thanks to direct deposit from each paycheck.

When buying stocks, double-check your watchlist to discover which stock is currently the best deal. It’s not so much about “timing the market,” which rarely works out in your favor, as it is about making sure your purchases are as efficient as possible.

Fortunately, most large brokerage firms have decreased their trade commissions to zero, allowing you to buy stock in smaller quantities without incurring fees that reduce the value of your investment.

You can avoid research overwhelm and decision weariness by checking your watchlist. Whether you’re buying bluechip stocks, you’ll want to check the calendar to see if you’ll be eligible for the next dividend payment, or if the price is low enough, you could be able to get more shares for your money.

How much do I need to invest to make $1000 a month in dividends?

To earn $1000 in dividends per month, you’ll need to invest between $342,857 and $480,000, with a typical portfolio of $400,000. The exact amount of money you’ll need to invest to get a $1000 monthly dividend income is determined by the stocks’ dividend yield.

It’s your return on investment in terms of the dividends you get for your investment. Divide the annual dividend paid per share by the current share price to get the dividend yield. You get Y percent of your money back in dividends for the money you put in.

Before you start looking for greater yields to speed up the process, keep in mind that the typical advice for “normal” equities is yields of 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent.

Of course, this baseline was set before the global scenario in 2020, so the range may shift as the markets continue to fluctuate. It also assumes that you’re prepared to begin investing in the market while it’s volatile.

Let’s keep things simple in this example by aiming for a 3% dividend yield and focusing on quarterly stock payments.

Most dividend-paying equities do so four times a year. You’ll need at least three different stocks to span the entire year.

If each payment is $1,000, you’ll need to buy enough shares in each company to earn $4,000 every year.

Divide $4,000 by 3% to get an estimate of how much you’ll need to invest per stock, which equals $133,333. Then multiply that by three to get a portfolio worth about $400,000. It’s not a little sum, especially if you’re starting from the ground up.

Before you start looking for higher dividend yield stocks as a shortcut…

You may believe that by hunting for greater dividend yield stocks, you can speed up the process and lower your investment. That may be true in theory, but equities with dividend yields of more than 3.5 percent are often thought to be riskier.

Higher dividend rates, under “normal” marketing conditions, indicate that the company may have a problem. The dividend yield is increased by lowering the share price.

Look at the stock discussion on a site like SeekingAlpha to see whether the dividend is in danger of being slashed. While everyone has an opinion, be sure you’re a knowledgeable investor before deciding to accept the risk.

When the dividend is reduced, the stock price usually drops even more. As a result, both dividend income and portfolio value are lost. That’s not to suggest it happens every time, so it’s up to you to decide how much danger you’re willing to take.

How do I avoid paying tax on dividends?

You must either sell well-performing positions or buy under-performing ones to get the portfolio back to its original allocation percentage. This is when the possibility of capital gains comes into play. You will owe capital gains taxes on the money you earned if you sell the positions that have improved in value.

Dividend diversion is one strategy to avoid paying capital gains taxes. You might direct your dividends to pay into the money market component of your investment account instead of taking them out as income. The money in your money market account could then be used to buy underperforming stocks. This allows you to rebalance your portfolio without having to sell an appreciated asset, resulting in financial gains.

Is Southern a buy?

Southern is rated as a Hold by the majority of people. The average rating score for the company is 2.42, based on 8 buy, 1 hold, and 3 sell opinions.

Is so a buy or sell stock?

Three analysts (37.5 percent) suggest SO as a Strong Buy, one (12.5 percent) recommends SO as a Buy, one (12.5 percent) recommends SO as a Hold, two (25 percent) recommend SO as a Sell, and one (12.5 percent) recommends SO as a Strong Sell. What is SO’s expected earnings growth from 2021 to 2023?