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

TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

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

View Metrics Details

Vital Metrics Comparison

MetricSouthern CompanyAmerican ElectricBetter
P/E Ratio (TTM)23.8615.70American Electric
Price-to-Book Ratio2.991.92American Electric
Debt-to-Equity Ratio189.66150.56American Electric
PEG Ratio-0.870.06Southern Company
EV/EBITDA13.0112.19American Electric
Profit Margin (TTM)15.10%17.66%American Electric
Operating Margin (TTM)28.08%28.18%American Electric
EBITDA Margin (TTM)28.08%28.18%American Electric
Return on Equity11.23%13.01%American Electric
Return on Assets (TTM)3.39%3.16%Southern Company
Free Cash Flow (TTM)$833.00M$-966.30MSouthern Company
Dividend Yield2.44%4.22%American Electric
1-Year Return4.78%6.91%American Electric
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)3.582.77American Electric
Enterprise Value$173.87B$104.54BSouthern Company
EV/Revenue Ratio6.135.06American Electric
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)50.05%62.02%American Electric
Revenue per Share (TTM)$26$39American Electric
Earnings per Share (Diluted)$3.87$6.82American Electric
Beta (Stock Volatility)0.390.44Southern Company
Performance
News Sentiment
Key Stats
Valuation
Financials
Short Interest
Dividends

Southern Company vs American Electric Stock Performance Analysis

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Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

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

Long-term Returns

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

News Based Sentiment: Southern Company vs American Electric

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

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

Performance & Financial Health Analysis: Southern Company vs American Electric

MetricSOAEP
Market Information
Market Cap i$103.10B$57.25B
Market Cap CategoryLarge capLarge cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i5,335,6413,177,377
90 Day Avg. Volume i4,553,1403,096,732
Last Close$93.69$107.86
52 Week Range$80.46 - $96.44$89.91 - $115.36
% from 52W High-2.85%-6.50%
All-Time High$96.44 (Jul 22, 2025)$115.35 (Aug 05, 2025)
% from All-Time High-2.85%-6.49%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth0.08%0.11%
Quarterly Earnings Growth-0.27%2.60%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.15%0.18%
Operating Margin (TTM) i0.28%0.28%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.11%0.13%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i189.66150.56
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$30.92$55.88
Cash per Share (MRQ)$1.15$0.82
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$9.22B$6.57B
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$-1,096,749,952$-4,043,899,904
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i2.44%4.22%
Last 12-Month Dividend i$2.16$4.60

Valuation & Enterprise Metrics Analysis: Southern Company vs American Electric

MetricSOAEP
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i23.8615.70
Forward P/E i21.3718.17
PEG Ratio i-0.870.06
Price to Sales (TTM) i3.582.77
Price to Book (MRQ) i2.991.92
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$103.10B$57.25B
Enterprise Value i$173.87B$104.54B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i6.135.06
Enterprise to EBITDA i13.0112.19
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta i0.390.44
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$30.92$55.88

Financial Statements Comparison: Southern Company vs American Electric

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

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics (MRQ)

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

Cash Flow Statement Comparison (MRQ)

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

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricSOAEP
Shares Short i34.80M22.80M
Short Ratio i6.856.33
Short % of Float i0.03%0.04%
Average Daily Volume (10 Day) i5,335,6413,177,377
Average Daily Volume (90 Day) i4,553,1403,096,732
Shares Outstanding i1.10B532.91M
Float Shares i1.10B533.74M
% Held by Insiders i0.00%0.00%
% Held by Institutions i0.72%0.85%

Dividend Analysis & Yield Comparison: Southern Company vs American Electric

MetricSOAEP
Last 12-Month Dividend i$2.16$4.60
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i2.44%4.22%
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend i$2.34$3.78
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield i0.93%0.95%
3-Year Total Dividends i$7.02$11.34
Ex-Dividend DateFeb 18, 2025Aug 08, 2025