COMPARE · Data as of August 21, 2026
FE vs SO
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. FE scored 62.1, SO scored 55.9 — FE leads.
Compare another set
FE
FirstEnergy Corp.
62.1
$45.96 · $26.6B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
6.2
FE leads
SO
Southern Company (The)
55.9
$88.94 · $102.3B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestFE1.7x
- Fastest growthFE+11.3%
- Strongest balance sheetSO1.82
- Highest qualitySO57 / 100
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/S multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
FE
stronger →← stronger
SO
55
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
57
82
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
72
53
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
42
FE is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
FE
SO
-$1.7bF
FCF
-$3.5bF
+11.3%B
Rev
+8.3%B
2.01C
D/E
1.82C+
1.7xA-
P/S
3.4xC+
1.68C+
PEG
2.35C
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Model signals
FE
Why this score
- Durable high returns
SO
Why this score
- Durable high returns
- Diluting shareholders
The companies
FEFirstEnergy Corp.
Why now
Utilities - Regulated Electric · market cap $26.6b. 12% off the 52-week high of $52.34. Revenue growing +11%, comfortably above the S&P median. 12 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $53.25 (implying +16% upside).
Moat
Higher-variance name — the moat signals on the quantitative card are modest, so the durability case rests on execution (turning current growth into durable earnings power) or an un-monetized asset (IP / network effects / first-mover position) rather than an entrenched competitive position.
Risk
D/E 2.01 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Free cash flow is negative (-$1.7b) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk. Trailing P/E 97.8x prices in sustained high growth — any quarter that disappoints triggers sharp re-rating.
SOSouthern Company (The)
Why now
Utilities - Regulated Electric · market cap $102.3b. 12% off the 52-week high of $100.84. 19 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $100.45 (implying +13% upside).
Moat
Net margin 14% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 11% meets the long-run market sustainable threshold — solid but not differentiated; the durability comes from elsewhere. $102.3b market cap gives the company enough scale to absorb fixed costs that subscale competitors can't, without yet being so large that growth has to come from acquisition.
Risk
Free cash flow is negative (-$3.5b) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where FE and SO diverge
On the headline score the gap is 6.2 points in favor of FE. The widest single difference is Value, where FE leads by 10.8 points.
- ValueFE 53.1 · SO 42.3FE +10.8
- GrowthFE 81.6 · SO 72.3FE +9.3
- QualityFE 55.3 · SO 57.1level
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.