Power supplier The Southern Company SO reported second-quarter 2017 earnings per share (excluding certain one-time items) of 73 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 71 cents. Better-than-expected results were driven by higher revenues mainly from the Southern Company Gas which was acquired in Jul 2016. However the bottom line declined from the year-ago adjusted profit of 75 cents.The Atlanta-based utility’s quarterly revenues of $5,430 million were 21% higher than the year-ago quarter level of $4,459 million and also beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4,877 million, driven by robust performance of its wholesale unit.Southern Company (The) Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Southern Company (The) Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Southern Company (The) QuoteSales ReportSouthern Company’s total retail sales fell 1.5%, with both residential and commercial sales declining. Total wholesale sales during the fourth quarter jumped 45.1% from the same period last year. However, industrial sales dipped 0.8% year over year.Total electricity sales during the first quarter were up 6.5% from the same period last year.Expenses Break UpThe power supplier’s operations and maintenance cost increased 18.3% to $1,301 million, while the utility’s total operating expense for the period – at $7,024 million – was up 114.5% from the prior-year level. Kemper IGCC plant suffered a loss of $3,012 million owing to escalating costs in the quarter.Zacks RankSouthern Company is one of the largest generators of electricity in the nation along with the likes of Exelon Corporation EXC, RWE Aktiengesellschaft RWEOY and Duke Energy Corporation DUK. Southern Company currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.More Stock News: Tech Opportunity Worth $386 Billion in 2017From driverless cars to artificial intelligence, we've seen an unsurpassed growth of high-tech products in recent months. Yesterday's science-fiction is becoming today's reality. Despite all the innovation, there is a single component no tech company can survive without. Demand for this critical device will reach $387 billion this year alone, and it's likely to grow even faster in the future.Zacks has released a brand-new Special Report to help you take advantage of this exciting investment opportunity. Most importantly, it reveals 4 stocks with massive profit potential. See these stocks now>>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Exelon Corporation (EXC): Free Stock Analysis Report Southern Company (The) (SO): Free Stock Analysis Report Duke Energy Corporation (DUK): Free Stock Analysis Report RWE AG (RWEOY): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research