NRG vs. SO
NRG (NRG Energy, Inc.) and SO (The Southern Company) are both stocks. Both are in the Utilities sector — NRG in Utilities - Independent Power Producers, SO in Utilities - Regulated Electric. Over the past 10 years, NRG returned 28.30%/yr vs 10.91%/yr for SO. At a 0.30 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
NRG vs. SO - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, NRG achieves a -13.02% return, which is significantly lower than SO's 11.11% return. Over the past 10 years, NRG has outperformed SO with an annualized return of 28.30%, while SO has yielded a comparatively lower 10.91% annualized return.
NRG
- 1D
- -0.90%
- 1M
- 0.01%
- YTD
- -13.02%
- 6M
- -12.39%
- 1Y
- -8.43%
- 3Y*
- 61.61%
- 5Y*
- 33.25%
- 10Y*
- 28.30%
SO
- 1D
- 1.61%
- 1M
- 0.84%
- YTD
- 11.11%
- 6M
- 12.15%
- 1Y
- 8.59%
- 3Y*
- 14.57%
- 5Y*
- 13.46%
- 10Y*
- 10.91%
NRG vs. SO - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NRG NRG Energy, Inc. | -13.02% | 78.91% | 78.58% | 69.36% | -23.47% | 18.54% | -2.14% | 0.69% | 39.59% | 133.69% |
SO The Southern Company | 11.11% | 9.47% | 21.72% | 2.21% | 8.24% | 16.34% | 0.63% | 51.65% | -3.75% | 2.42% |
Correlation
The correlation between NRG and SO is 0.09, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.09 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.09 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.22 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.25 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 2, 2003 | 0.30 |
Over the past year, the correlation between NRG and SO has dropped to 0.09 - well below their long-term average of 0.30, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.
Fundamentals
NRG:
$28.63B
SO:
$107.08B
NRG:
$1.21
SO:
$3.92
NRG:
113.67
SO:
24.22
NRG:
1.71
SO:
1.50
NRG:
0.84
SO:
3.50
NRG:
6.78
SO:
2.88
NRG:
$32.38B
SO:
$30.17B
NRG:
$4.69B
SO:
$13.01B
NRG:
$2.57B
SO:
$14.44B
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Return for Risk
NRG vs. SO — Risk / Return Rank
NRG
SO
NRG vs. SO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) and The Southern Company (SO). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| NRG | SO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.72 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.82 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.01 | 1.10 | -0.10 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.25 | 0.58 | -0.82 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -0.59 | 1.34 | -1.93 |
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Drawdowns
NRG vs. SO - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum NRG drawdown since its inception was -79.41%, which is greater than SO's maximum drawdown of -38.43%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NRG and SO.
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Drawdown Indicators
| NRG | SO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -79.41% | -38.43% | -40.98% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -34.24% | -14.99% | -19.25% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -34.24% | -14.99% | -19.25% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -34.24% | -23.28% | -10.96% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -48.76% | -38.43% | -10.33% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -24.97% | -3.00% | -21.97% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -27.99% | -6.87% | -21.12% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 14.34% | 6.42% | +7.92% |
Volatility
NRG vs. SO - Volatility Comparison
NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) has a higher volatility of 12.28% compared to The Southern Company (SO) at 6.03%. This indicates that NRG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| NRG | SO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 12.28% | 6.03% | +6.25% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 34.27% | 13.11% | +21.16% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 45.16% | 16.29% | +28.87% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 40.00% | 18.62% | +21.38% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 39.15% | 21.99% | +17.16% |
Dividends
NRG vs. SO - Dividend Comparison
NRG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.33%, less than SO's 3.57% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NRG NRG Energy, Inc. | 1.33% | 1.11% | 1.81% | 2.92% | 4.40% | 3.02% | 3.20% | 0.30% | 0.30% | 0.42% | 1.92% | 4.93% |
SO The Southern Company | 3.57% | 3.37% | 3.47% | 3.96% | 3.78% | 3.82% | 4.13% | 3.86% | 5.42% | 4.78% | 4.52% | 4.60% |
Financials
NRG vs. SO - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between NRG Energy, Inc. and The Southern Company. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
NRG vs. SO - Profitability Comparison
NRG - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, NRG Energy, Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 10.26B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.
SO - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, The Southern Company reported a gross profit of 3.90B and revenue of 8.40B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 46.5%.
NRG - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, NRG Energy, Inc. reported an operating income of 328.00M and revenue of 10.26B, resulting in an operating margin of 3.2%.
SO - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, The Southern Company reported an operating income of 2.02B and revenue of 8.40B, resulting in an operating margin of 24.0%.
NRG - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, NRG Energy, Inc. reported a net income of 125.00M and revenue of 10.26B, resulting in a net margin of 1.2%.
SO - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, The Southern Company reported a net income of 1.36B and revenue of 8.40B, resulting in a net margin of 16.2%.
Frequently Asked Questions
NRG and SO have a correlation of 0.09, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
NRG has higher volatility (12.28%) compared to SO (6.03%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NRG dropped -79.41% vs SO's -38.43%.
SO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.53 vs -0.19), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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