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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Utilities - Regulated Electric

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

Duke Energy holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across valuation and growth. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels.

Updated 2026-04-05

The clearest separation starts in valuation, but growth adds another real layer to the result. The overall score gap is 9 points in favour of Duke Energy Corporation.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Utilities - Regulated Electric

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

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

Peer-Relative Score
DUK
Duke Energy Corporation
62
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
vs
SO
The Southern Company
53
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium

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

Pricing and operating quality both support the lead here.

Dimension spread: DUK vs SO Profitability 51 47 Stability 77 76 Valuation 76 59 Growth 42 30 DUK SO
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +17
#2 Growth +12
#3 Profitability +4
#4 Stability +1
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for DUK and SO Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer DUKSO Relative valuation Structural strength

Structure stays fairly close here, while current pricing still looks more supportive for Duke Energy Corporation.

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

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Valuation
Both rank well on valuation, but Duke Energy Corporation still sits higher.
Growth
Duke Energy Corporation sits higher in the group on growth, adding to the overall structural advantage.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
DUK
76
SO
59
Gap+17in favour of DUK

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a trailing P/E that is 4.1 turns lower.

What else supports the lead

Growth also supports the lead, so the result is broader than one isolated gap.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both valuation and growth, making it broader than a single-dimension result.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

Explore full breakdown →
Similar valuation-and-growth comparisons

Explore how DUK 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.

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.