DUK vs SO Stock Comparison
DUK currently leads SO in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 55 vs 49. The clearest difference is quality.
What is the main difference between DUK and SO?
DUK leads the current stock comparison as Duke Energy Corporation, with the clearest separation coming from quality and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Duke Energy Corporation vs The Southern Company
DUK leads
DUK leads by 6 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Value.
Fragile: 3 of 6 evidence groups support DUK, and its current signal state is conflicted.
Duke Energy Corporation
The Southern Company
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors DUK over SO, 55 versus 49 as of Oct 31, 2026. DUK's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and value. DUK also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 3 of 6 covered evidence groups favor DUK today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: only 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. DUK lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 6 points over 30 sessions.
Compare Duke Energy Corporation and The Southern Company across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare DUK and SO against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Quality45 vs 33DUK +12
- Value53 vs 47DUK +6
- Risk Resilience49 vs 48Even
- Momentum72 vs 72Even
3 of 6 evidence groups favor DUK. DUK’s edge is concentrated in quality and value.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-28, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-27.
Largest factor move: Momentum -9
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 3 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Momentum -9
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 2 active signals are unchanged.
DUK's lead widened by 1 AIQ point in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — DUK and SO both carry a full feed there.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
DUKDUK on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
SOSO on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
DUKDUK on the peer-relative Value factor, by 6 points.
Momentum
EvenThe two are level on Momentum.
Lower downside
DUKDUK carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility.
Analyst upside
DUKDUK on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.
| Measure | DUK | SO | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +4.1% | +0.2% | DUK has more room |
| Target dispersion | +14.3% | +34.1% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Hold | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 10 | 9 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Dividend growth
| Dividend metric | DUK | SO |
|---|---|---|
| 5Y dividend CAGR | 2.01% | 2.97% |
| 2020 regular DPS | $3.820 | $2.540 |
| 2025 regular DPS | $4.220 | $2.940 |
| Years increased | 5 | 5 |
| No cut in window | Yes | Yes |
| Cohort rank | #329 | #306 |
SO grew its split-adjusted regular dividend faster over 2020–2025 — 2.97% a year against DUK's 2.01%. Neither company reduced its regular dividend in any year of the window.
Yield and payout ratio shown elsewhere on this page are current values, not part of the study window.
Split-adjusted regular dividends per share, 2020–2025, excluding special dividends. Research as of Sep 19, 2026.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
3 of 6 covered evidence groups favor DUK. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | DUK | 55 vs 49 |
| Fundamentals | Even | revenue growth -17.3% vs -16.9%; EPS growth -29.9% vs -14.9%; TTM ROE 9.9% vs 12.6%; gross margin 68.2% vs 43.4%; operating margin 27.6% vs 24.2% |
| Valuation | DUK | Value 53 vs 47 |
| Technicals | Even | Price vs 50-day 7.1% vs 6.8%; vs 200-day -0.6% vs -0.9% |
| Risk Resilience | Even | Risk Resilience 49 vs 48 |
| Analyst expectations | DUK | Target upside 4.1% vs 0.2% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of DUK and SO and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is moderate at 6 points.
- Only 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on DUK.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 29 – Oct 28DUK lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 6 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- DUK +6
- 55 vs 49
- 7 sessions ago
- DUK +6
- 57 vs 51
- 30 sessions ago
- DUK +4
- 45 vs 41
- 90 sessions ago
- DUK +8
- 46 vs 38
The lead has not changed hands in this window.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
2 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted
Only DUK
- Keltner Channel Breakout — bullish, volatility, short horizon
1 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted
No signal that the other name lacks.
Both carry 2 more signals that do not separate them: Death Cross Active, MACD Bullish Crossover.
DUK leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price is up while the AIQ Score moved down 2 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price +1.18%, AIQ -2 points).
Price is up while the AIQ Score moved down 3 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price +0.77%, AIQ -3 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1SO closes the Quality gap — currently 12 points behind, the largest single contributor to DUK's edge.
- 2SO's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
- 3DUK's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 2 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
Split| Metric | DUK | SO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -17.3% | -16.9% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | -29.9% | -14.9% |
| Gross margin | 68.2% | 43.4% |
| Operating margin | 27.6% | 24.2% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 9.9% | 12.6% |
| Debt to equity | 1.67 | 1.95 |
Performance
DUK leads 4 of 6 windows| Metric | DUK | SO |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 2.4% | 1.3% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | 8.4% | 10.4% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -2.1% | -3% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -2.3% | -2.1% |
| Year to date | 5.4% | 5% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -3% | -4.5% |
Technicals
Split| Metric | DUK | SO |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 68 | 67.9 |
| ADX (14) | 38.1 | 37.5 |
| Price vs 50-day | 7.1% | 6.8% |
| Price vs 200-day | -0.6% | -0.9% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 20.5% | 21.2% |
Risk
Split| Metric | DUK | SO |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | -0.31 | -0.23 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.26 | -0.27 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.41 | -0.45 |
| Max drawdown | -15.2% | -16.9% |
| Current drawdown | -7.4% | -7.7% |
| Annualized volatility | 16.6% | 17.9% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -1.7% | -1.8% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, DUK or SO?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, DUK is the stronger of the two as of Oct 31, 2026, scoring 55 against SO's 49. The edge comes from quality and value. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is DUK or SO the better buy right now?
DUK carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 31, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: only 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor DUK over SO?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. DUK leads Quality by 12 points; DUK leads Value by 6 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, DUK or SO?
Analyst price targets imply +4.1% upside for DUK and +0.2% for SO, so the Street currently favors DUK. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, DUK or SO?
DUK is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. DUK on the peer-relative Value factor, by 6 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, DUK or SO?
SO on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, DUK or SO?
The two are level on Momentum. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, DUK or SO?
DUK is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. DUK carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is DUK more profitable than SO?
The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 68.2% vs 43.4%; operating margin 27.6% vs 24.2%; ttm roe 9.9% vs 12.6%. DUK leads on two measures and SO on one measure, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.
Is DUK's lead over SO getting stronger or weaker?
DUK lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 6 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-29 and 2026-10-28. The lead has not changed hands in that window.
What would change the DUK vs SO verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: SO closes the Quality gap — currently 12 points behind, the largest single contributor to DUK's edge; SO's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; DUK's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 2 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about DUK and SO?
DUK: 2 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted. SO: 1 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on DUK is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On SO it is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).
Compare DUK and SO with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.