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NYSE:SO News 1 December 2025 - 24 January 2026

Utilities stocks brace for Fed week as XLU slides and yields stay high

Utilities stocks brace for Fed week as XLU slides and yields stay high

U.S. utilities stocks fell this week, with the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF closing at $42.56, down about 2%. The S&P 500 Utilities index dropped 0.4% Friday and 2% for the week. The 10-year Treasury yield ended at 4.24%, pressuring dividend-heavy utilities. NextEra Energy reports earnings Jan. 27.
24 January 2026
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Utilities stocks today: NextEra’s $4 billion share-sale plan keeps XLU under pressure into 2026

Utilities stocks today: NextEra’s $4 billion share-sale plan keeps XLU under pressure into 2026

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 1:53 PM ET — Market closed U.S. utilities stocks headed into the New Year on the back foot after NextEra Energy disclosed a $4 billion at-the-market share-sale program, a move that can add supply to the market over time. The Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund, an exchange-traded fund that tracks a basket of utility stocks, last closed down 0.6% at $42.69. (SEC filing) Why it matters now: utilities are among the most interest-rate-sensitive parts of the equity market because investors often value them for steady cash flows and dividends. When financing costs rise or equity
1 January 2026
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New report puts Alabama Power coal ash ponds back under scrutiny near Mobile-Tensaw Delta

New report puts Alabama Power coal ash ponds back under scrutiny near Mobile-Tensaw Delta

NEW YORK, December 31, 2025, 09:30 ET An Inside Climate News investigation published this week said Alabama Power is storing more than 21 million tons of coal ash in an unlined pond at its James M. Barry plant on the Mobile River, near the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. Alabama Power “remains committed to operating in full compliance with environmental regulations,” spokesperson Alyson Tucker said in an email. Inside Climate News The issue is back in focus as regulators and communities push utilities to deal with coal ash — the residue left after burning coal — which can contain contaminants linked to cancer
31 December 2025
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Alabama Power coal ash ponds face new scrutiny after report warns of Mobile-Tensaw Delta flood risk

Alabama Power coal ash ponds face new scrutiny after report warns of Mobile-Tensaw Delta flood risk

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 08:54 ET An Inside Climate News investigation published on Monday said Alabama Power’s coal-ash ponds along Alabama waterways could place hundreds of square miles of land and water at risk if earthen barriers holding back the waste were to breach. The report said more than 117 million tons of coal sludge are stored at six sites, including an unlined pond at the James M. Barry plant that holds more than 21 million tons and could inundate about 25 square miles of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta if dikes fail. Inside Climate News The findings matter now because
30 December 2025
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Georgia Power’s $16.3B AI data-center power push leans on gas, putting bills under the microscope

Georgia Power’s $16.3B AI data-center power push leans on gas, putting bills under the microscope

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 08:57 ET Georgia Power plans a $16.3 billion construction program to add about 10,000 megawatts of generation in Georgia, much of it to serve fast-growing data centers, after state regulators approved the expansion. The company says the additions would lift its power capacity about 50%. “Large energy users are paying more so families and small businesses can pay less, and that’s a great result for Georgians,” CEO Kim Greene said. The North State Journal The plan lands as utilities across the United States scramble to keep up with electricity demand tied to artificial intelligence. Data
30 December 2025
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Report warns Alabama Power coal ash ponds could flood Alabama waterways

Report warns Alabama Power coal ash ponds could flood Alabama waterways

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 06:47 ET An Inside Climate News review said Alabama Power’s coal-ash ponds could inundate hundreds of square miles of land and waterways if barriers fail, sharpening scrutiny of how the utility is closing the sites. Inside Climate News Coal ash is the waste left after utilities burn coal to make electricity. The Environmental Protection Agency says it can pollute waterways and groundwater and contains metals linked to cancer and other serious health effects. EPA The report comes as regulators and courts continue to weigh whether utilities can use cap-in-place closures, which leave ash where it
29 December 2025
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Utilities Stocks Outlook: XLU Ends Holiday Week Near Flat as Rates, AI Power Demand and Storm Risks Shape 2026

Utilities Stocks Outlook: XLU Ends Holiday Week Near Flat as Rates, AI Power Demand and Storm Risks Shape 2026

NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2025, 1:42 p.m. ET — MARKET CLOSED Utilities stocks are heading into the final stretch of 2025 with a familiar “defensive” reputation—plus a newer, more complex growth narrative tied to AI-era electricity demand. With U.S. exchanges closed for the weekend, investors are digesting Friday’s quiet, post-Christmas session and a short list of fresh headlines that nevertheless matter for regulated utilities: winter-storm risk in the Northeast, rising scrutiny of power bills amid data-center expansion, and renewed legal and policy uncertainty around offshore wind. The backdrop is a market that’s still near all-time highs but showing year-end thinness.
27 December 2025
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Utilities Stocks Outlook 2026: AI Data Centers, Fed Rate Cuts and Rising Power Bills Put the Sector Back in Focus

Utilities Stocks Outlook 2026: AI Data Centers, Fed Rate Cuts and Rising Power Bills Put the Sector Back in Focus

U.S. utilities stocks are ending 2025 with a split personality. On one hand, the group is still a classic “defensive” trade—regulated cash flows, dividend support, and historically lower volatility than the broader market. On the other, utilities have quietly become one of the most important “real economy” beneficiaries of the AI boom, because every new data center and electrified industrial process ultimately needs one thing: reliable megawatts. With U.S. markets closed for the Christmas holiday on December 25, 2025, the utilities sector enters 2026 under intense scrutiny from investors, regulators, and consumers. Electricity bills are rising, grid operators are sounding
25 December 2025
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Utilities Stocks Outlook for 2026: AI Data Center Demand, Rate Cuts, and the New Power-Grid Investment Cycle

Utilities Stocks Outlook for 2026: AI Data Center Demand, Rate Cuts, and the New Power-Grid Investment Cycle

Dec. 20, 2025 Utilities stocks are having a moment that would’ve been hard to imagine just a few years ago. The sector long known for predictable dividends and regulated earnings is now being pulled into the center of the AI buildout—because none of it runs without electricity. As of Dec. 20, 2025, the utilities story is no longer just “bond-proxy, defensive, yield.” It’s increasingly about load growth, grid reliability, data centers, and a multi-year capital spending wave—with investors trying to decide whether the sector’s recent pullback is a warning sign or an entry point. Below is a detailed roundup of
20 December 2025
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Georgia Power’s $15B Data Center Energy Expansion Heads to Georgia PSC Vote as AI Power Demand Triggers New Federal Grid Rules

Georgia Power’s $15B Data Center Energy Expansion Heads to Georgia PSC Vote as AI Power Demand Triggers New Federal Grid Rules

On Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, Georgia’s utility regulators are poised to make one of the most consequential energy decisions the state has faced in years: whether to approve Georgia Power’s plan to rapidly expand electricity supply to meet a surge in demand from data centers and AI-driven computing. Axios The stakes are immediate and personal—monthly bills, grid reliability, and how much new fossil-fueled generation Georgia locks in for decades—but they’re also national. In the last 24 hours, federal regulators moved to clarify how Big Tech can connect massive data centers directly to power plants in the country’s largest grid region,
19 December 2025
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Southern Company (SO) Stock on December 1, 2025: Dividend Giant in a Booming Utilities Super-Cycle

Southern Company (SO) Stock on December 1, 2025: Dividend Giant in a Booming Utilities Super-Cycle

As utilities rally on AI-driven power demand and rate-cut hopes, Southern Company’s stock sits around $89 with a 3.3% dividend yield, fresh capital raises, and a wall of “Hold” ratings. Here’s what today’s news and forecasts say about SO. Southern Company stock today: price, yield and market backdrop As of the official close on December 1, 2025, shares of Southern Company (NYSE: SO) finished at $89.01, down about 2.3% on the day from a prior close of $91.12. The stock traded between $88.99 and $90.75 with volume of roughly 5.7 million shares.FinancialContent+1 That puts SO: On a total-return basis, Southern
2 December 2025
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Georgia Power in December 2025: Data Center Boom, Rising Bills and a New PSC Shake-Up

Georgia Power in December 2025: Data Center Boom, Rising Bills and a New PSC Shake-Up

As of December 1, 2025, Georgia Power sits at the center of a rare collision of forces: a once‑in‑a‑generation data center boom, sharply higher electricity bills, and a newly reshaped Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) that voters just used to vent their frustration. Over the next few weeks, regulators will decide whether to let Georgia Power add roughly 10 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity—about the equivalent of ten nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle—mainly to serve AI and cloud data centers flocking to the state. Consumer groups warn the move could lock in billions of dollars of costs and raise household
1 December 2025
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Stock Market Today

GSK share price set for Monday watch after EU clears Nucala COPD use

GSK share price set for Monday watch after EU clears Nucala COPD use

7 February 2026
GSK shares closed Friday up 0.83% at a 52-week high after the EU approved Nucala for certain uncontrolled COPD patients. Insider filings showed chairman Jonathan Symonds bought 2,500 shares while executive David Redfern sold 100,000. The FTSE 100 rose 0.6%. Broker ratings on GSK remained mixed.
Aye Finance IPO: Rs 454-crore anchor haul follows valuation cut below last round

Aye Finance IPO: Rs 454-crore anchor haul follows valuation cut below last round

7 February 2026
Aye Finance raised Rs 454.5 crore from 19 anchor investors ahead of its Feb 9 IPO, pricing shares at the top of a Rs 122–129 range. The company’s profit fell 40% to Rs 64.3 crore in the six months to September as bad loans rose to 4.85%. The IPO values Aye at about Rs 3,200 crore, below its last private round. Major investors include Nippon Life India and Goldman Sachs funds.
BAT share price closes near 52-week high as buyback rolls on ahead of results week

BAT share price closes near 52-week high as buyback rolls on ahead of results week

7 February 2026
British American Tobacco shares closed up 1.2% at 4,609 pence Friday, near a 52-week high. The company disclosed further share buybacks and management share purchases ahead of its Feb. 12 full-year results. BAT bought 121,668 shares for cancellation on Feb. 5. Investors await updates on nicotine alternatives and cash returns.
Anglo American share price slips as BofA turns neutral after copper outlook cut

Anglo American share price slips as BofA turns neutral after copper outlook cut

7 February 2026
Anglo American shares closed down 0.75% at 3,435 pence Friday after BofA Global Research downgraded the miner to “neutral” and raised its price target to 3,600 pence. Anglo cut its 2026 copper production guidance and warned of continued weakness at De Beers. The company expects $200 million in charges tied to its Chile copper operations in the second half of 2025.
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