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DUK vs SO
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Duke Energy (DUK) vs. Southern Company (SO) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Both DUK and SO have posted year-to-date gains around 9-11%, outperforming the broader market amid rising power demand from data centers.
- DUK reported Q1 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.93, beating estimates, with reaffirmed full-year guidance of $6.55-$6.80.
- SO delivered Q1 adjusted EPS of $1.32, surpassing expectations, fueled by 42% data center power growth and a recent dividend hike.
- Dividend yields stand at 3.3% for DUK and 3.2% for SO, with both maintaining strong payout histories appealing to income investors.
- DUK trades at a lower P/E ratio (20.2) compared to SO (24.6), indicating relative valuation attractiveness.
- Market caps are close, with SO at $108B and DUK at $99B, reflecting similar scale in the regulated utilities sector.
Introduction
Comparing DUK (Duke Energy Corporation) and SO (The Southern Company) offers insights into two leading regulated electric utilities navigating heightened demand from data centers and AI infrastructure. Both serve millions in the Southeast and beyond, benefiting from stable cash flows and defensive positioning in volatile markets. Income-focused investors and traders seeking relative performance in the utilities sector—where recent earnings beats and dividend reliability drive sentiment—will find this stock comparison valuable for assessing growth drivers, valuation, and market positioning.
DUK Overview and Recent Performance
Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) is a major regulated electric and natural gas utility serving 8.4 million customers across the Carolinas, Florida, and Midwest. In recent market activity, shares have hovered around $127-128, reflecting year-to-date gains of about 9.8% amid broader utilities resilience. Q1 2026 results showed revenues of $9.18 billion and adjusted EPS of $1.93, exceeding estimates, with electric utilities income up due to infrastructure recovery and favorable weather. The company reaffirmed 2026 EPS guidance of $6.55-$6.80, supported by a $103 billion five-year capital plan targeting clean energy expansions. Sentiment has been bolstered by nuclear license extensions and grid investments, though higher leverage and interest costs pose mild pressures, contributing to modest recent pullbacks of 3% over the past month.
SO Overview and Recent Performance
The Southern Company (SO) operates regulated electric utilities primarily in the Southeast, serving millions through subsidiaries like Georgia Power. Recent trading has seen shares near $96, with year-to-date returns around 10.8%, edging out peers in recent weeks. Q1 2026 adjusted EPS reached $1.32, beating forecasts by $0.12, driven by a 42% surge in data center demand and 2.3% retail sales growth. Revenues hit $8.4 billion, topping expectations. The board approved a 2.7% dividend increase to $3.04 annualized—its 25th consecutive raise—enhancing income appeal. Performance reflects robust capital investments and Vogtle nuclear expansions, though regulatory scrutiny and weather variability have influenced short-term volatility, with a slight 1-2% dip in recent weeks.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
Both DUK and SO operate similar regulated utility models, generating stable revenues from electric and gas distribution amid AI-driven load growth. DUK edges in scale with $32B revenues and higher EBITDA ($17B vs. $14.5B), but carries more debt ($91B vs. $76B). Growth drivers differ: SO leverages Southeast data center boom (42% demand rise), while DUK focuses on Midwest/Florida nuclear and grid upgrades. Recent momentum favors SO slightly on YTD returns (11% vs. 10%), but DUK offers better valuation at 20x P/E versus 25x. Risk factors include interest rate sensitivity (low betas ~0.4) and regulatory hurdles; SO shows stronger sentiment from dividend hikes, while DUK provides higher yield trade-offs.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI leans toward SO in the current environment, citing superior recent earnings momentum, data center catalysts, and YTD outperformance amid utilities' stability. Consistent trend strength and lower relative debt enhance its positioning, though DUK remains competitive on valuation and scale. Probabilistic edge favors SO for near-term relative gains.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is DUK is a StrongBuy and SO is a Buy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
DUK’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green whileSO’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- DUK’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- SO’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
DUK’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while SO’s TA Score has 5 bullish TA indicator(s).
- DUK’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
- SO’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
DUK (@Electric Utilities) experienced а +0.45% price change this week, while SO (@Electric Utilities) price change was +1.55% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Electric Utilities industry was -0.67%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -1.56%, and the average quarterly price growth was +4.76%.
Reported Earning Dates
DUK is expected to report earnings on Aug 11, 2026.
SO is expected to report earnings on Jul 30, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Electric Utilities (-0.67% weekly)Electric utilities companies generate, transmit and distribute electricity to businesses/offices and residences. Companies may be owned by the government or investors or public shareholders, or a combination thereof. The industry also includes firms that buy and sell electricity. Companies in this industry typically require significant investments in infrastructure. Many firms in this industry pay substantial and regular dividends to shareholders. However, changes in interest rates (and their impact on debt burdens), natural disasters and changing commodity prices could be factors affecting energy utilities’ profit margins. NextEra Energy, Inc., Duke Energy Corporation, Dominion Energy Inc. and Southern Company are among U.S. electric utilities companies with the largest market capitalizations.
| DUK | SO | DUK / SO | |
| Capitalization | 97.1B | 106B | 92% |
| EBITDA | 17.6B | 14.5B | 121% |
| Gain YTD | 8.102 | 9.708 | 83% |
| P/E Ratio | 19.16 | 24.08 | 80% |
| Revenue | 33.2B | 30.2B | 110% |
| Total Cash | 688M | N/A | - |
| Total Debt | 90.9B | 76B | 120% |
DUK | SO | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 65 | 74 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 55 Fair valued | 64 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 27 | 17 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 70 | 63 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 56 | 51 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 48 | 33 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 65 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
DUK's Valuation (55) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as SO (64). This means that DUK’s stock grew similarly to SO’s over the last 12 months.
SO's Profit vs Risk Rating (17) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as DUK (27). This means that SO’s stock grew similarly to DUK’s over the last 12 months.
SO's SMR Rating (63) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as DUK (70). This means that SO’s stock grew similarly to DUK’s over the last 12 months.
SO's Price Growth Rating (51) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as DUK (56). This means that SO’s stock grew similarly to DUK’s over the last 12 months.
SO's P/E Growth Rating (33) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as DUK (48). This means that SO’s stock grew similarly to DUK’s over the last 12 months.
| DUK | SO | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 65% | 1 day ago 75% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 58% | 1 day ago 50% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 35% | 1 day ago 34% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 36% | 1 day ago 47% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 49% | 1 day ago 53% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 37% | 1 day ago 50% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 51% | 1 day ago 51% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 13 days ago 39% | 13 days ago 41% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 52% | 1 day ago 68% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 28% | N/A |
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DUK and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, DUK has been closely correlated with SO. These tickers have moved in lockstep 84% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if DUK jumps, then SO could also see price increases.
SO and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, SO has been closely correlated with DUK. These tickers have moved in lockstep 83% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if SO jumps, then DUK could also see price increases.