AEP vs SO
American Electric Power and Southern Company, both Utilities
Southern Company is the larger company at $105B against $69B. On trailing earnings AEP is the cheaper of the two at a P/E of 18.2 against 23.0, a gap that is only a bargain if the two are growing at similar rates. Over the past year AEP returned +12% against -2.1% for SO. Ryufin's sector-relative Smart Score puts AEP ahead, 8/10 against 4/10.
| Figure | AEP | SO |
|---|---|---|
| Last close | $123 | $89.76 |
| Market cap | $69B | $105B |
| Trailing P/Elower is cheaper for the same earnings, not automatically better | 18.2 | 23.0 |
| Dividend yield | 3.0% | 3.3% |
| 1-year return | +12% | -2.1% |
| 5-year return | +68% | +69% |
| Ryufin Smart Scoresector-relative, 1–10 | 8/10 | 4/10 |
Figures from SEC filings and end-of-day closes. Highlighting marks the higher or lower number, which is not the same as the better investment, a low P/E can be a warning and a high one can be deserved.
American Electric Power
Revenue of $6.0B in Q1 2026, net income $903M. Its largest reported line is Electric Generation Transmission Distribution, 18% of the disclosed total.
Southern Company
Revenue of $8.4B in Q1 2026, net income $1.3B. Its largest reported line is Retail Electric Commercial, 19% of the disclosed total.
Open these two in the interactive comparison to add more names, change the period or read the correlation.