Which has the lower trailing P/E, AEP or SO?

SO has the lower trailing P/E: AEP trades at 21.34 and SO at 21.06. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, AEP or SO?

Over the past five years, AEP grew revenue faster — AEP at a 7.40% CAGR versus SO at 6.68%.

Does AEP or SO pay a bigger dividend?

AEP yields 3.08% and SO yields 3.40% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is AEP or SO more profitable?

SO runs the higher net margin — AEP at 13.95% versus SO at 15.43%.

How have AEP and SO total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, AEP delivered 10.64% and SO delivered 10.10% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP) vs The Southern Company (SO)

A side-by-side comparison of American Electric Power Company, Inc. and The Southern Company across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of September 10, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

AEP

American Electric Power Company, Inc.

$67.14B

$123.33UtilitiesDelayed quote: Sep 11, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

The Southern Company

$100.28B

$87.17UtilitiesDelayed quote: Sep 11, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — AEP vs SO

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

AEP +172.9% (+10.6%/yr)SO +156.2% (+9.9%/yr)AEP compounded faster over this window

AEP SO

AEP vs SO: by the numbers

•SO is the larger company ($100.28B vs $67.14B market cap).
•SO trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (21.06 vs 21.34 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•SO converts more revenue to profit (15.43% vs 13.95% net margin).
•AEP grew revenue faster over the past five years (7.40% vs 6.68% CAGR).
•SO pays the higher dividend yield (3.40% vs 3.08%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	AEP	SO
P/E ratio	21.34	21.06
Forward P/E	19.33	18.99
P/S ratio	2.98	3.32
P/B ratio	2.09	2.53
EV / EBITDA	12.02	13.07

Profitability

Metric	AEP	SO
Gross margin	31.81%	29.81%
Operating margin	28.36%	24.19%
Net margin	13.95%	15.43%
ROE	9.77%	11.77%
ROIC	5.13%	4.15%

Dividends

Metric	AEP	SO
Dividend yield	3.08%	3.40%
Payout ratio	65.74%	72.46%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	AEP	SO
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	7.40%	6.68%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	8.45%	5.96%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	10.71%	9.54%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, AEP or SO?: SO has the lower trailing P/E: AEP trades at 21.34 and SO at 21.06. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, AEP or SO?: Over the past five years, AEP grew revenue faster — AEP at a 7.40% CAGR versus SO at 6.68%.
Does AEP or SO pay a bigger dividend?: AEP yields 3.08% and SO yields 3.40% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is AEP or SO more profitable?: SO runs the higher net margin — AEP at 13.95% versus SO at 15.43%.
How have AEP and SO total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, AEP delivered 10.64% and SO delivered 10.10% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full AEP analysis Full SO analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

American Electric Power P/E ratio Southern P/E ratio American Electric Power dividend yield Southern dividend yield American Electric Power ROE Southern ROE American Electric Power operating margin Southern operating margin American Electric Power revenue growth Southern revenue growth American Electric Power free cash flow Southern free cash flow

American Electric Power & Southern appear in these rankings

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Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified September 10, 2026.