Is DUK or SO cheaper?

On trailing earnings, DUK is cheaper: DUK trades at a 19.14 P/E and SO at 24.04.

Which has grown faster, DUK or SO?

Over the past five years, SO grew revenue faster — DUK at a 6.70% CAGR versus SO at 7.25%.

Does DUK or SO pay a bigger dividend?

DUK yields 3.41% and SO yields 3.17% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is DUK or SO more profitable?

DUK runs the higher net margin — DUK at 15.44% versus SO at 14.46%.

Which has been the better investment, DUK or SO?

Over the past 10-year, SO delivered the higher annualized total return — DUK at 8.73% versus SO at 10.76%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) vs The Southern Company (SO)

DUK leads on 12 of 16 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Duke Energy Corporation and The Southern Company across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 13, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

DUK

Duke Energy Corporation

Total return — DUK vs SO

growth of $100 · last 30y

DUK +194.3%SO +589.7%SO compounded faster

DUK SO

DUK vs SO: by the numbers

•SO is the larger company ($105.97B vs $97.43B market cap).
•DUK trades at the lower earnings multiple (19.14 vs 24.04 P/E).
•DUK converts more revenue to profit (15.44% vs 14.46% net margin).
•SO grew revenue faster over the past five years (7.25% vs 6.70% CAGR).
•DUK pays the higher dividend yield (3.41% vs 3.17%).

Which is better, DUK or SO?

Metric tally: DUK 12 · SO 4

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueDUK(lower P/E)

GrowthSO(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeDUK(higher dividend yield)

QualitySO(higher ROIC)

Valuation

Metric	DUK	SO
P/E ratio	19.14●	24.04
Forward P/E	17.43●	19.09
P/S ratio	2.92●	3.51
P/B ratio	1.79●	2.86
PEG ratio	1.74●	4.03
EV / EBITDA	11.56●	12.54
FCF yield	6.78%	—

Profitability

Metric	DUK	SO
Gross margin	58.41%●	43.11%
Operating margin	26.98%●	24.15%
Net margin	15.44%●	14.46%
ROE	9.44%	11.75%●
ROIC	4.13%	4.36%●

Dividends

Metric	DUK	SO
Dividend yield	3.41%●	3.17%
Payout ratio	67.51%	75.63%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	DUK	SO
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.70%	7.25%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)	29.69%●	5.96%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	131.21%●	-5.51%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	8.25%	12.08%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, DUK or SO?: It depends on your goal. value: DUK (lower P/E); growth: SO (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: DUK (higher dividend yield); quality: SO (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, DUK leads 12 to 4.
Is DUK or SO cheaper?: On trailing earnings, DUK is cheaper: DUK trades at a 19.14 P/E and SO at 24.04.
Which has grown faster, DUK or SO?: Over the past five years, SO grew revenue faster — DUK at a 6.70% CAGR versus SO at 7.25%.
Does DUK or SO pay a bigger dividend?: DUK yields 3.41% and SO yields 3.17% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is DUK or SO more profitable?: DUK runs the higher net margin — DUK at 15.44% versus SO at 14.46%.
Which has been the better investment, DUK or SO?: Over the past 10-year, SO delivered the higher annualized total return — DUK at 8.73% versus SO at 10.76%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full DUK analysis Full SO analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Duke Energy P/E ratio Southern P/E ratio Duke Energy dividend yield Southern dividend yield Duke Energy ROE Southern ROE Duke Energy operating margin Southern operating margin Duke Energy revenue growth Southern revenue growth Duke Energy free cash flow Southern free cash flow

Duke Energy & Southern appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Dividend Aristocrats Highest FCF Yield Stocks

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 June 13, 2026.