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AEE or SO or WEC
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Ameren Corporation (AEE) vs. Southern Company (SO) vs. WEC Energy Group (WEC) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- All three utilities reported strong Q1 2026 earnings beats, with AEE at $1.28 EPS (9.87% surprise), SO at $1.32 EPS, and WEC at $2.45 EPS, reaffirming full-year guidance amid rising demand.
- AEE leads YTD performance at ~12.6%, followed by WEC (~10-12%) and SO (~10%), reflecting sector resilience.
- SO boasts the largest market cap (~$108B), while WEC (~$38B) and AEE (~$31B) offer higher relative growth potential via data center exposure.
- Dividend yields are attractive across the board: WEC ~3.3%, SO ~3.1%, AEE ~2.7%, supporting income-focused strategies.
- P/E ratios indicate balanced valuations: AEE ~21x, SO and WEC ~24x, with infrastructure investments driving future EPS growth of 6-8% CAGR.
Introduction
Ameren Corporation (AEE), Southern Company (SO), and WEC Energy Group (WEC) are leading regulated utilities providing electric and natural gas services across the Midwest and Southeast U.S. This comparison analyzes their recent performance, earnings momentum, and market positioning amid rising power demand from data centers and electrification trends. Investors seeking defensive sector exposure with reliable dividends and growth from infrastructure investments will find these stocks relevant, particularly in volatile market environments where utilities offer stability and yield.
AEE Overview and Recent Performance
Ameren Corporation (AEE), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, operates through segments including Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution, Ameren Illinois Natural Gas, and Ameren Transmission, serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Missouri and Illinois. In recent market activity, AEE shares have shown steady gains, trading around $112 with a market cap of approximately $31 billion. The stock delivered strong Q1 2026 results, reporting adjusted EPS of $1.28—surpassing estimates by 9.87%—despite slightly lower revenues of $2.18 billion, driven by infrastructure investments and warmer winter weather impacting sales. The company reaffirmed its full-year EPS guidance of $5.25–$5.45, highlighting robust rate base growth and improved service reliability. Sentiment remains positive due to executed electric service agreements totaling 3 GW for large-load customers like data centers, positioning AEE for accelerated load growth to 5.5% through 2029.
SO Overview and Recent Performance
Southern Company (SO), based in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of the largest U.S. energy providers, serving 9 million customers across the Southeast through electric operating companies in three states and natural gas distribution in four. Operating with a market cap near $108 billion and shares around $96, SO has exhibited resilient performance in recent weeks. Q1 2026 earnings featured adjusted EPS of $1.32, beating expectations by $0.12, fueled by a 42% surge in data center power demand and 2.3% retail electricity sales growth. The company raised its quarterly dividend, extending a 25-year growth streak. Broader momentum reflects YTD gains of about 10%, supported by wholesale market participation and battery storage projects, though regulatory risks in Georgia have introduced some volatility. Overall sentiment underscores SO's scale and demand tailwinds.
WEC Overview and Recent Performance
WEC Energy Group (WEC), headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, delivers regulated electricity and natural gas to 4.8 million customers across Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota via segments like Wisconsin, Illinois, and Electric Transmission. With shares near $115 and a $38 billion market cap, WEC has maintained upward trajectory in recent trading. Q1 2026 net income reached $804 million or $2.45 per share, exceeding forecasts, with revenues up 9% to $3.43 billion, bolstered by operating efficiencies and a $37.5 billion capital plan through 2030. The 335th consecutive quarterly dividend declaration reinforces its appeal. Performance benefits from data center expansions, including Microsoft and Vantage projects adding 3.4 GW demand, targeting 6-7% electric growth by 2028-2030 and 7-8% EPS CAGR, though valuation concerns persist relative to peers.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
In business models, all three emphasize regulated operations with transmission investments, but SO differentiates via its vast Southeast footprint and nuclear assets, contrasting AEE and WEC's Midwest focus on gas/electric distribution. Growth drivers include data center demand—SO with 42% power surge, WEC via 3.4 GW projects, AEE with 3 GW agreements—projecting 5.5-7% load growth. Recent momentum favors AEE on YTD returns, but WEC edges dividends. Risk factors involve interest rate sensitivity (low betas ~0.5) and regulation; SO faces Georgia scrutiny. Sector exposure is purely utilities, with valuation sensitivity evident in P/E clusters (21-24x)—AEE cheapest—amid capex plans fueling 6-8% EPS growth. Market sentiment tilts positive on earnings beats, trading off scale (SO) for agility in smaller peers.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors WEC due to its superior Q1 EPS beat, aggressive $37.5 billion capex supporting 7-8% EPS CAGR, and data center catalysts like Microsoft projects enhancing trend consistency and relative positioning. While AEE offers value at lower P/E and SO scale, WEC's stability and growth probability edge it out in observable metrics.
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.
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).
AEE’s FA Score shows that 0 FA rating(s) are green whileSO’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s), and WEC’s FA Score reflects 0 green FA rating(s).
- AEE’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 red.
- SO’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- WEC’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 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.
AEE’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while SO’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s), and WEC’s TA Score reflects 2 bullish TA indicator(s).
- AEE’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
- SO’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 5 bearish.
- WEC’s TA Score: 2 bullish, 7 bearish.
Price Growth
AEE (@Electric Utilities) experienced а -2.48% price change this week, while SO (@Electric Utilities) price change was +0.82% , and WEC (@Electric Utilities) price fluctuated -1.40% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Electric Utilities industry was -0.83%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -2.32%, and the average quarterly price growth was +3.10%.
Reported Earning Dates
AEE is expected to report earnings on Jul 30, 2026.
SO is expected to report earnings on Jul 30, 2026.
WEC is expected to report earnings on Jul 29, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Electric Utilities (-0.83% 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.
| AEE | SO | WEC | |
| Capitalization | 29.4B | 104B | 35.6B |
| EBITDA | 4.17B | 14.5B | 4.15B |
| Gain YTD | 7.233 | 6.969 | 5.274 |
| P/E Ratio | 19.13 | 23.67 | 21.88 |
| Revenue | 8.88B | 30.2B | 10.1B |
| Total Cash | 13M | 981M | N/A |
| Total Debt | 21.3B | 76B | 22.3B |
AEE | SO | WEC | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 63 | 62 | 56 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 69 Overvalued | 63 Fair valued | 58 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 38 | 20 | 47 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 64 | 63 | 64 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 53 | 54 | 56 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 61 | 35 | 42 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 75 | 50 | 85 |
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.
WEC's Valuation (58) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as SO (63) and is in the same range as AEE (69). This means that WEC's stock grew similarly to SO’s and similarly to AEE’s over the last 12 months.
SO's Profit vs Risk Rating (20) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as AEE (38) and is in the same range as WEC (47). This means that SO's stock grew similarly to AEE’s and similarly to WEC’s over the last 12 months.
SO's SMR Rating (63) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as AEE (64) and is in the same range as WEC (64). This means that SO's stock grew similarly to AEE’s and similarly to WEC’s over the last 12 months.
AEE's Price Growth Rating (53) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as SO (54) and is in the same range as WEC (56). This means that AEE's stock grew similarly to SO’s and similarly to WEC’s over the last 12 months.
SO's P/E Growth Rating (35) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as WEC (42) and is in the same range as AEE (61). This means that SO's stock grew similarly to WEC’s and similarly to AEE’s over the last 12 months.
| AEE | SO | WEC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 31% | 2 days ago 68% | N/A |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 51% | 2 days ago 55% | 2 days ago 50% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 44% | 2 days ago 34% | 2 days ago 47% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 45% | 2 days ago 34% | 2 days ago 48% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 39% | 2 days ago 53% | 2 days ago 42% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 38% | 2 days ago 33% | 2 days ago 37% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 6 days ago 47% | 5 days ago 51% | 19 days ago 47% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 38% | 9 days ago 41% | 4 days ago 42% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 53% | 2 days ago 65% | 2 days ago 40% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 46% | N/A | 2 days ago 25% |
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AEE and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, AEE has been closely correlated with WEC. These tickers have moved in lockstep 85% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if AEE jumps, then WEC 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 84% 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.
WEC and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, WEC has been closely correlated with AEE. These tickers have moved in lockstep 84% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if WEC jumps, then AEE could also see price increases.