JAMES DONALD M 4

What Happened James Donald M, a director of Southern Company (SO), was granted 464.205 deferred stock units on 2026-04-01 as an equity award valued at $45,000 (grant price shown as $96.94/unit). This transaction is an award (not a market purchase or sale) and reflects a routine quarterly director equity retainer paid under the company's 2021 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan and deferred under the Deferred Compensation Plan for Outside Directors.

Key Details

• Transaction date and terms: 2026-04-01 — 464.205 deferred stock units @ $96.94 each; total value $45,000 (reported on Form 4 filed 2026-04-02).
• Transaction type: Award/Grant (code A); reported as a derivative acquisition (deferred stock units).
• Shares owned after transaction: Not specified in this Form 4.
• Footnotes of note:
  • F1: Grant represents the quarterly director equity retainer, deferred as deferred stock units (each unit equals one share).
  • F2: Deferred stock units settle in shares after the director's board service ends; there is no exercise or expiration date.
  • F3: Includes additional deferred stock units from dividend reinvestment under the plan.
• Filing timeliness: Filed on 2026-04-02 for a 2026-04-01 transaction (appears timely under Form 4 reporting rules).

Context Deferred stock units are a form of compensation for outside directors and are not a cash purchase or sale; they represent the right to receive shares in the future (often upon leaving the board). Such awards are typically routine compensation and do not by themselves indicate an intent to buy or sell shares in the market.