SOUTHERN CO vs WILLIAMS COMPANIES, INC., two Utilities stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where SO and WMB diverge most: on fcf yield, SO reads -3.2% and WMB reads 0.3%; on debt / equity, SO reads 0.04 and WMB reads 1.98. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. What SO's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). What WMB's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | SO | WMB |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $95.61 | $75.00 |
| Market cap | $107.8B | $92.0B |
| Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
| Stage | Growth | Growth |
| Implied growth (priced in) | — | +12.4% |
| P/E | 24.4 | 32.9 |
| P/B | 2.70 | 6.06 |
| P/S | 3.57 | 5.96 |
| EV/EBITDA | 14.9 | 18.0 |
| Revenue growth | +8.6% | +14.8% |
| Operating margin | 24.0% | 28.0% |
| Net margin | 14.5% | 18.1% |
| Return on equity | 10.9% | 18.4% |
| Return on assets | 2.8% | 4.7% |
| Return on invested capital | 15.0% | 7.7% |
| FCF yield | -3.2% | 0.3% |
| Dividend yield | 3.1% | 2.7% |
| Debt / equity | 0.04 | 1.98 |
| Current ratio | 0.65 | 0.83 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 0.75 | 6.04 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 6 / 9 | 8 / 9 |
Each week boothcheck ranks the stocks whose prices are betting on the most. Read the most stretched bets archive →
boothcheck is also on Android. Get the app on Google Play →
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.