American Electric [AEP] vs Southern Company [SO] Detailed Stock Comparison

TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

Based on 20 vital metrics comparison: American Electric wins in 15 metrics, Southern Company wins in 5 metrics, with 0 ties. American Electric appears stronger overall.

View Metrics Details

Vital Metrics Comparison

MetricAmerican ElectricSouthern CompanyBetter
P/E Ratio (TTM)15.7023.86American Electric
Price-to-Book Ratio1.922.99American Electric
Debt-to-Equity Ratio150.56189.66American Electric
PEG Ratio0.06-0.87Southern Company
EV/EBITDA12.1913.01American Electric
Profit Margin (TTM)17.66%15.10%American Electric
Operating Margin (TTM)28.18%28.08%American Electric
EBITDA Margin (TTM)28.18%28.08%American Electric
Return on Equity13.01%11.23%American Electric
Return on Assets (TTM)3.16%3.39%Southern Company
Free Cash Flow (TTM)$-966.30M$833.00MSouthern Company
Dividend Yield4.22%2.44%American Electric
1-Year Return6.91%4.78%American Electric
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)2.773.58American Electric
Enterprise Value$104.54B$173.87BSouthern Company
EV/Revenue Ratio5.066.13American Electric
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)62.02%50.05%American Electric
Revenue per Share (TTM)$39$26American Electric
Earnings per Share (Diluted)$6.82$3.87American Electric
Beta (Stock Volatility)0.440.39Southern Company
Performance
News Sentiment
Key Stats
Valuation
Financials
Short Interest
Dividends

American Electric vs Southern Company Stock Performance Analysis

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Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

Stock1D1W1M3M6MYTD
American Electric-0.94%1.26%-3.65%5.42%4.51%18.43%
Southern Company-0.76%3.03%1.37%3.87%6.22%15.04%

Long-term Returns

Stock1Y3Y5Y10Y15Y20Y
American Electric6.91%25.95%27.64%93.32%200.61%174.26%
Southern Company4.78%38.84%67.81%111.26%154.20%164.01%

News Based Sentiment: American Electric vs Southern Company

American Electric

News based Sentiment: MIXED

September brought a mix of positive and negative developments for AEP. While institutional investment showed some growth, analyst downgrades and insider selling created headwinds. The company's continued investment in infrastructure and talent acquisition provides a positive outlook, but regulatory concerns remain a key risk.

View American Electric News Sentiment Analysis

Southern Company

News based Sentiment: MIXED

September presented a mixed bag for Southern Company. While the company reaffirmed its guidance and continued to invest in growth areas like renewables and data center infrastructure, the negative outlook from Moody's due to increased debt is a significant concern. This creates a complex investment narrative with both opportunities and risks.

View Southern Company News Sentiment Analysis

Performance & Financial Health Analysis: American Electric vs Southern Company

MetricAEPSO
Market Information
Market Cap i$57.25B$103.10B
Market Cap CategoryLarge capLarge cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i3,177,3775,335,641
90 Day Avg. Volume i3,096,7324,553,140
Last Close$107.86$93.69
52 Week Range$89.91 - $115.36$80.46 - $96.44
% from 52W High-6.50%-2.85%
All-Time High$115.35 (Aug 05, 2025)$96.44 (Jul 22, 2025)
% from All-Time High-6.49%-2.85%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth0.11%0.08%
Quarterly Earnings Growth2.60%-0.27%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.18%0.15%
Operating Margin (TTM) i0.28%0.28%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.13%0.11%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i150.56189.66
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$55.88$30.92
Cash per Share (MRQ)$0.82$1.15
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$6.57B$9.22B
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$-4,043,899,904$-1,096,749,952
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i4.22%2.44%
Last 12-Month Dividend i$4.60$2.16

Valuation & Enterprise Metrics Analysis: American Electric vs Southern Company

MetricAEPSO
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i15.7023.86
Forward P/E i18.1721.37
PEG Ratio i0.06-0.87
Price to Sales (TTM) i2.773.58
Price to Book (MRQ) i1.922.99
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$57.25B$103.10B
Enterprise Value i$104.54B$173.87B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i5.066.13
Enterprise to EBITDA i12.1913.01
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta i0.440.39
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$55.88$30.92

Financial Statements Comparison: American Electric vs Southern Company

Financial Metrics

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Revenue

EBITDA

Shareholders Equity

Operating Margin

Free Cash Flow

Long Term Debt

Profit Margin

Current Ratio

Operating Cash Flow

Income Statement (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)AEPSO
Revenue/Sales i$5.46B$6.97B
Cost of Goods Sold i$2.17B$3.48B
Gross Profit i$3.29B$3.49B
Research & Development iN/AN/A
Operating Income (EBIT) i$1.28B$1.76B
EBITDA i$2.16B$3.39B
Pre-Tax Income i$889.50M$1.14B
Income Tax i$125.50M$289.00M
Net Income (Profit) i$802.20M$853.00M

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)AEPSO
Cash & Equivalents i$256.80M$2.33B
Total Current Assets i$5.94B$11.82B
Total Current Liabilities i$14.24B$13.77B
Long-Term Debt i$39.31B$64.24B
Total Shareholders Equity i$27.36B$37.22B
Retained Earnings i$14.17B$14.29B
Property, Plant & Equipment i$8.08B$3.01B

Cash Flow Statement Comparison (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)AEPSO
Operating Cash Flow i$1.62B$1.94B
Capital Expenditures i$-35.80M$-2.44B
Free Cash Flow i$-686.00M$-1.19B
Debt Repayment i$-491.60M$-876.00M
Common Stock Repurchase iN/AN/A

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricAEPSO
Shares Short i22.80M34.80M
Short Ratio i6.336.85
Short % of Float i0.04%0.03%
Average Daily Volume (10 Day) i3,177,3775,335,641
Average Daily Volume (90 Day) i3,096,7324,553,140
Shares Outstanding i532.91M1.10B
Float Shares i533.74M1.10B
% Held by Insiders i0.00%0.00%
% Held by Institutions i0.85%0.72%

Dividend Analysis & Yield Comparison: American Electric vs Southern Company

MetricAEPSO
Last 12-Month Dividend i$4.60$2.16
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i4.22%2.44%
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend i$3.78$2.34
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield i0.95%0.93%
3-Year Total Dividends i$11.34$7.02
Ex-Dividend DateAug 08, 2025Feb 18, 2025