PPL vs SO Stock Comparison
Compare PPL and SO across AIQ Score, fundamentals, valuation, momentum, risk, analyst expectations and current market evidence.
What is the main difference between PPL and SO?
PPL leads the current stock comparison as PPL Corporation, with the clearest separation coming from momentum and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
PPL Corporation vs The Southern Company
PPL leads
PPL leads by 3 AIQ points, primarily on Momentum and Risk Resilience.
Fragile: 2 of 6 evidence groups support PPL.
PPL Corporation
The Southern Company
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors PPL over SO, 41 versus 38 as of Sep 11, 2026. PPL's advantage is driven primarily by stronger momentum and risk resilience. PPL also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 2 of 6 covered evidence groups favor PPL today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the AIQ gap is narrow at 3 points. PPL lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 3 points over 30 sessions.
Compare PPL Corporation and The Southern Company across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Price-return comparison using available daily close history.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000
Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.
Compare PPL 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.
- Momentum32 vs 25PPL +7
- Risk Resilience57 vs 52PPL +5
- Quality34 vs 33Even
- Value48 vs 47Even
2 of 6 evidence groups favor PPL. PPL’s edge is concentrated in momentum and risk resilience.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-09-10, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-09.
Largest factor move: Momentum -1
New signals
- 52-Week Low Proximity — bearish, risk, long horizon (3.0%)
- MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
Largest factor move: Risk Resilience +1
No new signals fired.
PPL's lead was unchanged in the latest snapshot.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — PPL and SO both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
PPL (PPL Corporation): the stronger current systematic profile, led by momentum and risk resilience.
SO (The Southern Company): the counter-case, on fundamentals.
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
PPLPPL on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
SOSO on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
EvenThe two are level on Value.
Momentum
PPLPPL on the Momentum factor, by 7 points.
Lower downside
PPLPPL on Risk Resilience, by 5 points.
Analyst upside
PPLPPL 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 | PPL | SO | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +20.3% | +12% | PPL has more room |
| Target dispersion | +26.8% | +27.7% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Hold | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 8 | 8 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
2 of 6 covered evidence groups favor PPL. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | Even | 41 vs 38 |
| Fundamentals | SO | revenue growth -23.9% vs -16.9%; EPS growth -48.3% vs -14.9%; TTM ROE 8.5% vs 12.6%; gross margin 34.6% vs 43.4%; operating margin 24% vs 24.2% |
| Valuation | Even | Value 48 vs 47 |
| Technicals | Even | Price vs 50-day -3.8% vs -6.2%; vs 200-day -5.7% vs -4.8% |
| Risk Resilience | PPL | Risk Resilience 57 vs 52 |
| Analyst expectations | PPL | Target upside 20.3% vs 12% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of PPL 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 narrow at 3 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Only 2 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
- Signal direction runs against the verdict: the leader is net-bearish while the laggard is net-bullish. (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 PPL.
How the comparison changed
119 daily snapshots · May 4 – Sep 10PPL lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 3 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- PPL +3
- 41 vs 38
- 7 sessions ago
- PPL +3
- 41 vs 38
- 30 sessions ago
- PPL +5
- 43 vs 38
- 90 sessions ago
- SO +2
- 47 vs 49
The lead changed hands 9 times in this window, most recently on Aug 3 when PPL moved ahead of SO.
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.
0 bullish / 4 bearish / 1 neutral
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (2.39%)
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- 52-Week Low Proximity — bearish, risk, long horizon (3.0%)
2 bullish / 0 bearish / 1 neutral
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (0.55%)
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- MACD Bullish Crossover — bullish, momentum, short horizon
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.38%, AIQ 0 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.66%, AIQ 0 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 Momentum gap — currently 7 points behind, the largest single contributor to PPL's edge.
- 2SO's Bollinger Band Squeeze turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend.
- 3PPL starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals.
- 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
SO leads on balance| Metric | PPL | SO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -23.9% | -16.9% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | -48.3% | -14.9% |
| Gross margin | 34.6% | 43.4% |
| Operating margin | 24% | 24.2% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 8.5% | 12.6% |
| Debt to equity | 1.32 | 1.95 |
Performance
SO leads 4 of 6 windows| Metric | PPL | SO |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -1% | -0.6% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -3.5% | -5.2% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -3.9% | -6.7% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -9.1% | -8.8% |
| Year to date | -1.8% | 0.6% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -4% | -3.4% |
Technicals
Split| Metric | PPL | SO |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 38.6 | 30.2 |
| ADX (14) | 11.8 | 25.4 |
| Price vs 50-day | -3.8% | -6.2% |
| Price vs 200-day | -5.7% | -4.8% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 17% | 13.3% |
Risk
PPL is the more resilient| Metric | PPL | SO |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | -0.03 | -0.24 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.37 | -0.37 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.59 | -0.58 |
| Max drawdown | -14.3% | -15.7% |
| Current drawdown | -14.1% | -12% |
| Annualized volatility | 17.9% | 17.3% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -1.8% | -1.8% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, PPL or SO?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, PPL is the stronger of the two as of Sep 11, 2026, scoring 41 against SO's 38. The edge comes from momentum and risk resilience. 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 PPL or SO the better buy right now?
PPL carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 11, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 2 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the AIQ gap is narrow at 3 points. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor PPL over SO?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. PPL leads Momentum by 7 points; PPL leads Risk Resilience by 5 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, PPL or SO?
Analyst price targets imply +20.3% upside for PPL and +12% for SO, so the Street currently favors PPL. 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, PPL or SO?
Neither name separates on the peer-relative Value factor. The two are level on Value. 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, PPL 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, PPL or SO?
PPL on the Momentum factor, by 7 points. 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, PPL or SO?
PPL is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. PPL on Risk Resilience, by 5 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is PPL more profitable than SO?
SO leads on the comparable margin measures — gross margin 34.6% vs 43.4%; operating margin 24% vs 24.2%; ttm roe 8.5% vs 12.6%.
Is PPL's lead over SO getting stronger or weaker?
PPL lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 3 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 119 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-05-04 and 2026-09-10. The lead has changed hands 9 times in that window, most recently on 2026-08-03, when PPL moved ahead of SO.
What would change the PPL vs SO verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: SO closes the Momentum gap — currently 7 points behind, the largest single contributor to PPL's edge; SO's Bollinger Band Squeeze turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend; PPL starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals; 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 PPL and SO?
PPL: 0 bullish / 4 bearish / 1 neutral. SO: 2 bullish / 0 bearish / 1 neutral. The most decision-relevant rule on PPL is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On SO it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare PPL 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.