CIG vs EXC vs DUK vs SO

For growth investors, The Southern Company (SO) is the stronger pick with 10.

6% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 5. 3% for Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais (CIG). Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais (CIG) offers the better valuation at 7. 0x trailing P/E (1. 9x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais (CIG) a "Buy" — based on 5 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, Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais (CIG) is the cheapest at 7.

0x versus The Southern Company at 23. 6x. On forward P/E, Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais is actually cheaper at 1. 9x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais wins at 0. 11x versus The Southern Company's 3. 45x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais (CIG) delivered a total return of +137.

5%, compared to +44. 0% for Duke Energy Corporation (DUK). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: CIG returned +315. 8% versus DUK's +104. 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), Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) is the lower-risk stock at -0.

24β versus Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais's 0. 72β — meaning CIG is approximately -394% more volatile than DUK relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais (CIG) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 70% versus 176% for Exelon Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), The Southern Company (SO) is pulling ahead at 10.

6% versus 5. 3% for Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais (CIG). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Exelon Corporation grew EPS 11. 8% year-over-year, compared to -31. 7% for Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais. Over a 3-year CAGR, EXC leads at 8. 3% 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.

Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) is the more profitable company, earning 15.

4% net margin versus 11. 4% for Exelon Corporation — meaning it keeps 15. 4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: DUK leads at 26. 6% versus 14. 1% for CIG. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — DUK leads at 31. 6%, 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.

The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential.

By this metric, Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais (CIG) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 11x versus The Southern Company's 3. 45x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais (CIG) trades at 1. 9x forward P/E versus 20. 2x for The Southern Company — 18. 4x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for EXC: 10. 7% to $49. 18.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais (CIG) offers the highest yield at 11. 5%, versus 2. 9% for The Southern Company (SO).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β -0.

24), 3. 4% yield, +104. 1% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (DUK: +104. 1%, CIG: +315. 8%), 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: CIG is a small-cap deep-value stock; EXC is a mid-cap deep-value stock; DUK is a mid-cap income-oriented 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.