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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

New York, Jan 24, 2026, 13:36 EST — Market closed. U.S. utilities stocks ended the week under pressure, with the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) slipping to $42.56 on Friday, down 0.35% for the day and roughly 2% lower on the week. XLU, which follows a group of S&P 500 utilities, often serves as a go-to gauge for the sector’s daily moves. (StockAnalysis) The S&P 500 Utilities index mirrored this trend, closing Friday down 0.4% and slipping about 2% over the week — underperforming for a sector usually favored for its steady cash flows. (Investing.com) Why it matters now:
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

Seagate (STX) stock jumps nearly 6% as Citi hikes target — what to watch next week

Seagate (STX) stock jumps nearly 6% as Citi hikes target — what to watch next week

7 February 2026
Seagate shares rose 5.9% to $429.32 Friday after Citigroup raised its price target to $480 and reiterated a buy rating. The gain ended a two-day slide but left the stock 6.6% below its Feb. 3 high. CEO Dave Mosley sold 20,000 shares on Feb. 2 under a pre-arranged plan, SEC filings show. U.S. jobs and inflation data next week are seen as key tests for tech stocks.
Cummins (CMI) stock price rebounds after earnings whipsaw as investors eye data-center power demand

Cummins (CMI) stock price rebounds after earnings whipsaw as investors eye data-center power demand

7 February 2026
Cummins shares jumped 6.8% to $577.73 Friday, recovering from a nearly 9% post-earnings drop the day before. The company reported Q4 revenue up 1% to $8.54 billion, took a $218 million charge tied to its hydrogen business, and guided for 2026 EBITDA of 17–18% of sales. Demand for data center generators offset weakness in North American truck markets. Analyst reaction was mixed; Truist raised its price target.
Corning stock hits first record close since 2000 as jobs, CPI data loom

Corning stock hits first record close since 2000 as jobs, CPI data loom

7 February 2026
Corning shares surged 8.3% to $122.16 Friday, their highest close since the dot-com era, after Meta agreed to buy up to $6 billion in fiber-optic cables. The stock is up 40% since late 2025, fueled by strong first-quarter guidance and AI data-center demand. Insiders sold shares following the rally, SEC filings show. Investors await next week’s U.S. jobs and inflation data for rate signals.
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