Operating Expenses

Total Operating Expenses

Southern Company Total Operating Expenses decreased by 21.3% to $4.87B in Q3 2023 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric declined by 21.3%, from $6.19B to $4.87B. This increase may warrant attention — for this metric, lower values are generally preferred.

Analysis

StatementIncome Statement
SectionOperating Expenses
CategoryEfficiency
SignalLower is better
VolatilityStable
First reportedQ4 2013
Last reportedQ4 2025

How to read this metric

Rising expenses without a corresponding rise in revenue can indicate operational bloat or aggressive expansion efforts.

Detailed definition

The sum of all costs required to run the business that are not directly tied to production, including R&D and SG&A. It r...

Peer comparison

Investors compare this to revenue to assess the 'operating leverage' of a business model.

Metric ID: is_total_operating_expenses

Historical Data

7 periods
 Q2 '21Q3 '21Q4 '21Q1 '22Q2 '22Q3 '22Q3 '23
Value$4.49B$4.52B$6.10B$5.26B$5.55B$6.19B$4.87B
QoQ Change+0.6%+35.1%-13.7%+5.5%+11.4%-21.3%
YoY Change+23.6%+37.0%-21.3%
Range$4.49B$6.19B
CAGR+5.6%
Avg YoY Growth+13.1%
Median YoY Growth+23.6%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Southern Company's total operating expenses?
Southern Company (SO) reported total operating expenses of $4.87B in Q3 2023.
How has Southern Company's total operating expenses changed year-over-year?
Southern Company's total operating expenses decreased by 21.3% year-over-year, from $6.19B to $4.87B.
What does total operating expenses mean?
The total cost of running the day-to-day business, excluding the direct cost of making products.