DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION vs SOUTHERN CO, two Utilities stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Duke Energy and Southern Company are both regulated electric utilities, each earning an approved return on its capital base and paying it out steadily. They look alike on size, 100 billion and 109.4, and on the cash picture: both spent more than they generated last period, free cash yields of negative 3.3 and negative 3.17 percent, the mark of heavy grid investment. Duke is the cheaper of the two, 19.69 times earnings against Southern's 24.81, and asks much less for book value, 1.77 to 2.74. Duke also pays a slightly higher dividend, 3.29 percent versus 3.03. Southern earns the better return on equity, 10.93 percent against Duke's 9.1.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | DUK | SO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $125.46 | $95.61 |
| Market cap | $97.7B | $107.8B |
| Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
| Stage | Mature | Growth |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +0.4% | — |
| P/E | 19.2 | 24.4 |
| P/B | 1.73 | 2.70 |
| P/S | 2.95 | 3.57 |
| EV/EBITDA | 16.8 | 14.9 |
| Revenue growth | +7.1% | +8.6% |
| Operating margin | 29.7% | 24.0% |
| Net margin | 15.5% | 14.5% |
| Return on equity | 9.1% | 10.9% |
| Return on assets | 2.6% | 2.8% |
| Return on invested capital | 5.2% | 15.0% |
| FCF yield | -3.4% | -3.2% |
| Dividend yield | 3.4% | 3.1% |
| Debt / equity | 1.56 | 0.04 |
| Current ratio | 0.66 | 0.65 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 6.21 | 0.75 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 6 / 9 | 6 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.