Is Southern a Better Buy Than Vistra?
Vistra fell -11% during the past Week. You may be tempted to buy more, or may want to reduce your exposure. But there is an entirely different perspective you might be missing. Is there a better alternative? Turns out, its peer Southern gives you more. Southern (SO) stock offers superior revenue growth across key periods, better profitability, and relatively lower valuation vs Vistra (VST) stock, suggesting you may be better off investing in SO
- SO’s quarterly revenue growth was 7.5%, vs. VST’s -20.9%.
- In addition, its Last 12 Months revenue growth came in at 9.4%, ahead of VST’s 5.7%.
- SO leads on profitability over both periods – LTM margin of 25.7% and 3-year average of 23.7%.
These differences become even clearer when you look at the financials side by side. The table highlights how VST’s fundamentals stack up against those of SO on growth, margins, momentum, and valuation multiples.
Valuation & Performance Overview
| VST | SO | Preferred | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valuation | |||
| P/EBIT Ratio | 25.8 | 13.0 | SO |
| Revenue Growth | |||
| Last Quarter | -20.9% | 7.5% | SO |
| Last 12 Months | 5.7% | 9.4% | SO |
| Last 3 Year Average | 9.5% | 1.3% | VST |
| Operating Margins | |||
| Last 12 Months | 12.2% | 25.7% | SO |
| Last 3 Year Average | 17.0% | 23.7% | SO |
| Momentum | |||
| Last 3 Year Return | 643.2% | 47.6% | SO |
Note: For “Last 3 Year Return” metric, preferred stock is one with higher returns unless the returns are too high (>300%) which creates risk of sell off.
See more revenue details: VST Revenue Comparison | SO Revenue Comparison
See more margin details: VST Operating Income Comparison | SO Operating Income Comparison
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See detailed fundamentals on Buy or Sell SO Stock and Buy or Sell VST Stock. Below we compare market return and related metrics across years.
Historical Market Performance
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Total [1] | Avg | Best | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Returns | |||||||||
| VST Return | 20% | 5% | 71% | 262% | 18% | -1% | 807% | <=== | |
| SO Return | 16% | 8% | 2% | 23% | 9% | 0% | 74% | ||
| S&P 500 Return | 27% | -19% | 24% | 23% | 16% | 1% | 84% | ||
| Monthly Win Rates [3] | |||||||||
| VST Win Rate | 58% | 58% | 67% | 75% | 50% | 0% | 51% | ||
| SO Win Rate | 50% | 67% | 50% | 58% | 50% | 100% | 62% | ||
| S&P 500 Win Rate | 75% | 42% | 67% | 75% | 67% | 100% | 71% | <=== | |
| Max Drawdowns [4] | |||||||||
| VST Max Drawdown | -18% | -9% | -8% | -1% | -29% | -7% | -12% | ||
| SO Max Drawdown | -7% | -8% | -12% | -5% | -2% | -1% | -6% | <=== | |
| S&P 500 Max Drawdown | -1% | -25% | -1% | -2% | -15% | -1% | -7% | ||
[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2021
[2] 2026 data is for the year up to 1/23/2026 (YTD)
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year
No matter how good the numbers, stock investment is never a smooth ride. There is a risk you must factor in. Read SO Dip Buyer Analyses and VST Dip Buyer Analyses to see how these stocks have fallen and recovered in the past.
Still not sure about VST or SO? Consider portfolio approach.
Portfolios Beat Stock Picking
Stocks can jump or crash but long term success comes from staying invested. The right portfolio helps you ride gains and cushion single stock drops
The Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio, with a collection of 30 stocks, has a track record of comfortably outperforming its benchmark that includes all 3 – the S&P 500, S&P mid-cap, and Russell 2000 indices. Why is that? As a group, HQ Portfolio stocks provided better returns with less risk versus the benchmark index; less of a roller-coaster ride, as evident in HQ Portfolio performance metrics.