GPJA vs SO

For growth investors, Georgia Power Company 5% JR SUB NT 77 (GPJA) is the stronger pick with 12.

0% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 10. 6% for The Southern Company (SO). Georgia Power Company 5% JR SUB NT 77 (GPJA) offers the better valuation at 0. 1x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate The Southern Company (SO) a "Hold" — based on 33 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Georgia Power Company 5% JR SUB NT 77 (GPJA) is the cheapest at 0.

1x versus The Southern Company at 23. 6x.

Over the past 5 years, The Southern Company (SO) delivered a total return of +60.

6%, compared to +7. 9% for Georgia Power Company 5% JR SUB NT 77 (GPJA). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SO returned +137. 8% versus GPJA's +26. 1%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), The Southern Company (SO) is the lower-risk stock at -0.

15β versus Georgia Power Company 5% JR SUB NT 77's 0. 79β — meaning GPJA is approximately -620% more volatile than SO relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Georgia Power Company 5% JR SUB NT 77 (GPJA) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 84% versus 169% for The Southern Company — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Georgia Power Company 5% JR SUB NT 77 (GPJA) is pulling ahead at 12.

0% versus 10. 6% for The Southern Company (SO). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Georgia Power Company 5% JR SUB NT 77 grew EPS 77. 8% year-over-year, compared to -1. 8% for The Southern Company. Over a 3-year CAGR, GPJA leads at 7. 0% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Georgia Power Company 5% JR SUB NT 77 (GPJA) is the more profitable company, earning 38.

8% net margin versus 14. 7% for The Southern Company — meaning it keeps 38. 8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: GPJA leads at 62. 4% versus 24. 6% for SO. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — GPJA leads at 54. 1%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Georgia Power Company 5% JR SUB NT 77 (GPJA) offers the highest yield at 100. 0%, versus 2. 9% for The Southern Company (SO).

For long-horizon retirement investors, The Southern Company (SO) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β -0.

15), 2. 9% yield, +137. 8% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SO: +137. 8%, GPJA: +26. 1%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

Both stocks operate in the Utilities sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

In terms of investment character: GPJA is a small-cap deep-value stock; SO is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.