Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-03-31
Form Type: PRE 14A
Source: 0000092122-25-000032
Chunk: 65

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-03-31
Form: PRE 14A
Chunk 65
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 and certain of their related persons (such as certain of their family members and entities they control) from purchasing or selling, or making any offer to purchase or sell, derivative securities relating to securities of the Company or its subsidiaries. The policy specifies examples of covered derivative securities, including exchange-traded options to purchase or sell securities of the Company or its subsidiaries (so-called “puts” and “calls”) or financial instruments, that are designed to hedge or offset any decrease in the market value of securities of the Company or its subsidiaries (including but not limited to prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars and exchange funds).

Our insider trading policy also includes a “no pledging” provision that prohibits pledging of our stock for all Southern Company executive officers and Directors.

#### Equity Grant Practices
The Company's long-standing practice has been to grant annual LTI equity awards on a predetermined schedule. The Committee generally grants PSUs and PRSUs to our executive officers and eligible employees at its first meeting of the applicable fiscal year. For those employees who are hired or become newly eligible to receive long-term incentive equity awards after the Committee's first meeting of the applicable fiscal year, pro-rated LTI equity awards are granted effective August 1. In certain circumstances, the Committee may approve annual LTI equity grants to be effective at other times, such as the hiring or promotion of certain executive officers. The Committee has delegated authority to the CEO to grant off-cycle retention awards to employees who are not Company executive officers, members of Southern Company Management Council or Directors. These retention awards may include cash awards or time-based RSUs and are subject to guidelines established by the Committee.

The Committee has not granted stock option awards since 2014. During 2024, the Committee did not takematerial nonpublic information into account when determining the timing and terms of equity awards and the Company did not time the disclosure of material nonpublic information for the purpose of affecting the value of executive compensation.

#### Stock Ownership Requirements
We believe ownership requirements align the interests of officers and stockholders by promoting a long-term focus and facilitating long-term share ownership.

4 All executive officers are subject to stock ownership requirements and all executive officers are meeting their applicable ownership requirements.

4 Ownership arrangements counted toward the requirements include shares held in Company-sponsored plans, phantom stock investments in the DCP and the SBP, and shares beneficially owned by the executive officer outside of Company- sponsored plans.

4 Officers have five years from the date of their hire or promotion date in which to comply with their stock ownership