Is SO or XEL cheaper?

On trailing earnings, XEL is cheaper: SO trades at a 24.65 P/E and XEL at 22.75.

Which has grown faster, SO or XEL?

Over the past five years, SO grew revenue faster — SO at a 7.25% CAGR versus XEL at 3.82%.

Does SO or XEL pay a bigger dividend?

SO yields 3.15% and XEL yields 2.98% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is SO or XEL more profitable?

SO runs the higher net margin — SO at 14.46% versus XEL at 14.14%.

Which has been the better investment, SO or XEL?

Over the past 10-year, SO delivered the higher annualized total return — SO at 10.40% versus XEL at 9.27%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

The Southern Company (SO) vs Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL)

SO leads on 12 of 16 compared metrics, though XEL is the cheaper stock.

A side-by-side comparison of The Southern Company and Xcel Energy Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of July 9, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Total return — SO vs XEL

growth of $100 · last 30y

SO +576.8%XEL +234.4%SO compounded faster

SO XEL

SO vs XEL: by the numbers

•SO is the larger company ($107.29B vs $49.33B market cap).
•XEL trades at the lower earnings multiple (22.75 vs 24.65 P/E).
•SO converts more revenue to profit (14.46% vs 14.14% net margin).
•SO grew revenue faster over the past five years (7.25% vs 3.82% CAGR).
•SO pays the higher dividend yield (3.15% vs 2.98%).

Which is better, SO or XEL?

Metric tally: SO 12 · XEL 4

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueXEL(lower P/E)

GrowthSO(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeSO(higher dividend yield)

QualitySO(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	SO	XEL
P/E ratio	24.65	22.75●
Forward P/E	21.06	19.36●
P/S ratio	3.60	3.37●
P/B ratio	2.93	2.09●
PEG ratio	4.14●	5.42
EV / EBITDA	13.77●	14.81

Profitability

Metric	SO	XEL
Gross margin	29.81%●	18.91%
Operating margin	24.15%●	19.85%
Net margin	14.46%●	14.14%
ROE	11.75%●	8.78%
ROIC	4.36%●	3.77%

Dividends

Metric	SO	XEL
Dividend yield	3.15%●	2.98%
Payout ratio	77.16%	68.90%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	SO	XEL
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	7.25%●	3.82%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	5.96%●	4.20%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	-14.36%●	-15.80%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	13.48%●	6.70%

Frequently asked

Which is better, SO or XEL?: It depends on your goal. value: XEL (lower P/E); growth: SO (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: SO (higher dividend yield); quality: SO (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, SO leads 12 to 4.
Is SO or XEL cheaper?: On trailing earnings, XEL is cheaper: SO trades at a 24.65 P/E and XEL at 22.75.
Which has grown faster, SO or XEL?: Over the past five years, SO grew revenue faster — SO at a 7.25% CAGR versus XEL at 3.82%.
Does SO or XEL pay a bigger dividend?: SO yields 3.15% and XEL yields 2.98% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is SO or XEL more profitable?: SO runs the higher net margin — SO at 14.46% versus XEL at 14.14%.
Which has been the better investment, SO or XEL?: Over the past 10-year, SO delivered the higher annualized total return — SO at 10.40% versus XEL at 9.27%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full SO analysis Full XEL analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

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

Southern & Xcel Energy appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Dividend Aristocrats

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 July 9, 2026.