Home Compare CNP vs SO
Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Utilities - Regulated Electric

CenterPoint Energy vs The Southern Company: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The Southern Company holds the cleaner structural position, with profitability as the main driver and growth adding further support. CenterPoint Energy still has the edge on growth, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. Both sides have seen trend damage — neither carries a clear market edge right now. With both trends damaged, the structural comparison carries most of the weight here.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-08-16

The clearest separation starts in profitability, with stability adding a second layer of support. The overall score gap is 14 points in favour of The Southern Company.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Utilities - Regulated Electric

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. CNP and SO share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how CenterPoint Energy and The Southern Company each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
CNP
CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
54
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
SO
The Southern Company
68
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: CNP vs SO Profitability 28 72 Stability 57 74 Valuation 60 66 Growth 83 61 CNP SO
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +44
#2 Growth +22
#3 Stability +17
#4 Valuation +6
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for CNP and SO Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer CNPSO Relative valuation Structural strength

Neither company combines the stronger profile with the cheaper valuation.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where CNP and SO each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY CNP Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 1 pct gap SO Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 90th 92nd
CNP (90th percentile) and SO (92nd percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
The Southern Company ranks near the top of the group on profitability; CenterPoint Energy, Inc. sits in the weaker half.
Growth
On growth, the edge is clear — both rank well, but CenterPoint Energy, Inc. sits noticeably higher.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
CNP
28
SO
72
Gap+44in favour of SO

The clearest distance comes from a stronger profitability profile.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

A meaningful counterforce remains in growth, which keeps the comparison from looking completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

The profitability edge is decisive, even though current pricing and growth still lean somewhat toward CenterPoint Energy, Inc..

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the CNP vs SO comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how CNP and SO each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.