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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Utilities - Regulated Electric

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

The structural profiles are close, with The Southern Company carrying a narrow edge on stability. NextEra Energy still leads on growth and valuation, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is currently leaning toward NextEra Energy, which does not confirm the structural lead. That leaves a split case: the structural lead stays with The Southern Company, but the market is not currently confirming it.

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

Stability still does most of the heavy lifting in this comparison.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Utilities - Regulated Electric

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

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

Peer-Relative Score
NEE
NextEra Energy, Inc.
66
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 clearest separation appears in stability.

Dimension spread: NEE vs SO Profitability 67 72 Stability 17 74 Valuation 79 66 Growth 94 61 NEE SO
Gap Ranking
#1 Stability +57
#2 Growth +33
#3 Valuation +13
#4 Profitability +5
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for NEE and SO Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer NEESO Relative valuation Structural strength

The Southern Company occupies the cheaper side of the setup map, although NextEra Energy, Inc. still holds the stronger structural profile.

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

Entry today — historical context

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

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY NEE Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 1 pct gap SO Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 90th 92nd
NEE (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
Stability
On stability, The Southern Company ranks near the top of the group; NextEra Energy, Inc. sits in the weaker half.
Growth
On growth, the edge is clear — both rank well, but NextEra Energy, Inc. sits noticeably higher.
Stability — Dominant Gap
NEE
17
SO
74
Gap+57in favour of SO

The clearest distance comes from a steadier profile over time.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Earnings growth also leans toward NEE, which keeps the score lead from reading as a full growth sweep.

What this means for the comparison

The main read on stability is clearer than the broader score gap.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how NEE 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.