Competitive view
SO vs. two close competitors
This section compares the current company against two nearby peers on valuation, growth, margins, balance-sheet strength, and investment setup. Green generally marks the strongest relative figure for that row, while red marks the weakest.
YouTube
Southern Company
SO
Latest video
Q1 2026
Growth is positive but not explosive, which usually supports a steadier compounding case than a hyper-growth story.
Profitability is serviceable, but it does not obviously dominate peers on margin or cash conversion alone.
Valuation sits in a middle zone where future upside likely depends more on quarterly execution than on multiple re-rating alone.
Balance-sheet leverage is elevated, so investors should watch refinancing costs and how much flexibility management really has.
YouTube
NextEra Energy Inc.
NEE
Latest video
Q1 2026
Growth profile looks strong right now, with above-average top-line and/or earnings momentum.
Profitability is a real strength here, with healthy operating margins helping support resilience through weaker cycles.
Valuation sits in a middle zone where future upside likely depends more on quarterly execution than on multiple re-rating alone.
Balance-sheet leverage is elevated, so investors should watch refinancing costs and how much flexibility management really has.
YouTube
Xcel Energy
XEL
Latest video
Q1 2026
Growth is positive but not explosive, which usually supports a steadier compounding case than a hyper-growth story.
Profitability is serviceable, but it does not obviously dominate peers on margin or cash conversion alone.
Valuation looks more grounded than many growth names, which can improve the risk/reward if fundamentals hold up.
Balance-sheet leverage is elevated, so investors should watch refinancing costs and how much flexibility management really has.
Market Cap
More scale can mean deeper resources and resilience, although bigger does not automatically mean better upside.
SO
$105.97B
Southern Company
NEE
$179.34B
NextEra Energy Inc.
XEL
$49.45B
Xcel Energy
Trailing P/E
Lower trailing P/E can indicate a cheaper valuation relative to trailing earnings, but it may also reflect slower growth or higher perceived risk.
SO
24.0x
Southern Company
NEE
21.8x
NextEra Energy Inc.
XEL
22.8x
Xcel Energy
Forward P/E
Forward P/E is often a better read on what investors are paying for the next year of earnings power.
SO
19.1x
Southern Company
NEE
19.6x
NextEra Energy Inc.
XEL
17.5x
Xcel Energy
Revenue Growth
Higher revenue growth usually signals stronger demand, market share gains, or a business still in expansion mode.
SO
8.0%
Southern Company
NEE
7.3%
NextEra Energy Inc.
XEL
2.9%
Xcel Energy
Earnings Growth
Faster earnings growth matters because it shows management is converting sales momentum into shareholder value.
SO
-0.8%
Southern Company
NEE
160.0%
NextEra Energy Inc.
XEL
6.0%
Xcel Energy
Operating Margin
Higher operating margin suggests better operating discipline, pricing power, or a structurally stronger business model.
SO
25.8%
Southern Company
NEE
30.2%
NextEra Energy Inc.
XEL
18.2%
Xcel Energy
Gross Margin
Gross margin helps show how much product-level pricing power and unit economics a company has before overhead.
SO
48.0%
Southern Company
NEE
61.4%
NextEra Energy Inc.
XEL
45.9%
Xcel Energy
Net Margin
Higher net margin means more of each dollar of revenue reaches the bottom line after all costs.
SO
14.5%
Southern Company
NEE
29.4%
NextEra Energy Inc.
XEL
14.1%
Xcel Energy
Return on Equity
ROE shows how efficiently management turns shareholder capital into profits, though leverage can inflate it.
SO
11.0%
Southern Company
NEE
10.3%
NextEra Energy Inc.
XEL
9.6%
Xcel Energy
Free Cash Flow Yield
Higher free cash flow yield can indicate a stronger cash return relative to the stock's market value.
SO
-3.7%
Southern Company
NEE
-10.3%
NextEra Energy Inc.
XEL
-15.1%
Xcel Energy
Debt to Equity
Lower leverage usually means less balance-sheet risk, though capital-intensive sectors naturally run higher debt loads.
SO
190.43x
Southern Company
NEE
156.69x
NextEra Energy Inc.
XEL
164.84x
Xcel Energy
Current Ratio
A stronger current ratio usually signals better short-term liquidity and more room to absorb shocks.
SO
0.65x
Southern Company
NEE
0.54x
NextEra Energy Inc.
XEL
0.77x
Xcel Energy
Beta
Lower beta often means lower volatility versus the market, while higher beta usually brings a rougher ride.
SO
0.34
Southern Company
NEE
0.67
NextEra Energy Inc.
XEL
0.41
Xcel Energy
Dividend Yield
Dividend yield matters for income-focused investors, but a high yield can also reflect a stressed stock price.
SO
3.2%
Southern Company
NEE
2.7%
NextEra Energy Inc.
XEL
2.9%
Xcel Energy
Analyst Upside
Higher analyst upside suggests the Street still sees room between current price and consensus fair value.
SO
7.8%
Southern Company
NEE
14.5%
NextEra Energy Inc.
XEL
15.4%
Xcel Energy