EIX vs SO vs DUK vs AEP

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

6% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 6. 2% for Duke Energy Corporation (DUK). Edison International (EIX) offers the better valuation at 5. 9x trailing P/E (11. 2x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Edison International (EIX) a "Buy" — based on 36 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, Edison International (EIX) is the cheapest at 5.

9x versus The Southern Company at 23. 6x. On forward P/E, Edison International is actually cheaper at 11. 2x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Edison International wins at 0. 27x 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, American Electric Power Company, Inc.

(AEP) delivered a total return of +70. 7%, compared to +43. 2% for Edison International (EIX). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AEP returned +146. 9% versus EIX's +31. 9%. 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 Edison International's 0. 42β — meaning EIX is approximately -271% more volatile than DUK relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 156% versus 2% for Edison International — 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 6. 2% for Duke Energy Corporation (DUK). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Edison International grew EPS 248. 9% year-over-year, compared to -1. 8% for The Southern Company. Over a 3-year CAGR, AEP leads at 4. 1% 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.

Edison International (EIX) is the more profitable company, earning 23.

6% net margin versus 14. 7% for The Southern Company — meaning it keeps 23. 6% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: EIX leads at 36. 7% versus 24. 3% for AEP. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — EIX leads at 57. 8%, 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, Edison International (EIX) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 27x 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, Edison International (EIX) trades at 11. 2x forward P/E versus 20. 8x for American Electric Power Company, Inc. — 9. 6x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for EIX: 8. 8% to $74. 67.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Edison International (EIX) offers the highest yield at 4. 8%, versus 2. 9% for American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP).

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%, EIX: +31. 9%), 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: EIX is a mid-cap deep-value stock; SO is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; DUK is a mid-cap income-oriented stock; AEP 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.