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Side-by-side financial comparison of CDW Corporation (CDW) and Southern Company (SO). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Southern Company is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($7.0B vs $5.5B, roughly 1.3× CDW Corporation). On growth, Southern Company posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (10.1% vs 6.3%). CDW Corporation produced more free cash flow last quarter ($395.9M vs $-1.7B). Over the past eight quarters, CDW Corporation's revenue compounded faster (6.3% CAGR vs 2.5%).

CDW Corporation is an American multi-brand provider of information technology services, serving business, government, education, and healthcare sectors across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Headquartered in Vernon Hills, Illinois, CDW is a Fortune 500 and generated $21 billion in annual net sales in 2023.

Southern Company is an American gas and electric utility holding company based in the Southern United States. It is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with executive offices located in Birmingham, Alabama. As of 2021 it is the second largest utility company in the U.S. in terms of customer base. Through its subsidiaries it serves 9 million gas and electric utility customers in 6 states. Southern Company's regulated regional electric utilities serve a 120,000-square-mile (310,000 km2) territor...

CDW vs SO — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
SO
SO
1.3× larger
SO
$7.0B
$5.5B
CDW
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
SO
SO
+3.8% gap
SO
10.1%
6.3%
CDW
More free cash flow
CDW
CDW
$2.1B more FCF
CDW
$395.9M
$-1.7B
SO
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
CDW
CDW
Annualised
CDW
6.3%
2.5%
SO

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Revenue
$5.5B
$7.0B
Net Profit
$341.0M
Gross Margin
22.8%
Operating Margin
7.8%
13.1%
Net Margin
4.9%
Revenue YoY
6.3%
10.1%
Net Profit YoY
-26.8%
EPS (diluted)
$2.13
$0.38

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Q4 25
$5.5B
$7.0B
Q3 25
$5.7B
$7.8B
Q2 25
$6.0B
$7.0B
Q1 25
$5.2B
$7.8B
Q4 24
$5.2B
$6.3B
Q3 24
$5.5B
$7.3B
Q2 24
$5.4B
$6.5B
Q1 24
$4.9B
$6.6B
Net Profit
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Q4 25
$341.0M
Q3 25
$291.0M
$1.7B
Q2 25
$271.2M
$880.0M
Q1 25
$224.9M
$1.3B
Q4 24
$466.0M
Q3 24
$316.4M
$1.5B
Q2 24
$281.1M
$1.2B
Q1 24
$216.1M
$1.1B
Gross Margin
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Q4 25
22.8%
Q3 25
21.9%
Q2 25
20.8%
Q1 25
21.6%
Q4 24
22.3%
Q3 24
21.8%
Q2 24
21.8%
Q1 24
21.8%
Operating Margin
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Q4 25
7.8%
13.1%
Q3 25
7.7%
33.2%
Q2 25
7.0%
25.3%
Q1 25
7.0%
25.9%
Q4 24
7.9%
16.7%
Q3 24
8.7%
32.6%
Q2 24
8.0%
30.0%
Q1 24
6.7%
25.6%
Net Margin
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Q4 25
4.9%
Q3 25
5.1%
21.9%
Q2 25
4.5%
12.6%
Q1 25
4.3%
16.3%
Q4 24
7.3%
Q3 24
5.7%
21.1%
Q2 24
5.2%
18.6%
Q1 24
4.4%
16.1%
EPS (diluted)
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Q4 25
$2.13
$0.38
Q3 25
$2.21
$1.54
Q2 25
$2.05
$0.79
Q1 25
$1.69
$1.21
Q4 24
$1.97
$0.48
Q3 24
$2.34
$1.39
Q2 24
$2.07
$1.09
Q1 24
$1.59
$1.03

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$618.7M
$1.6B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$65.6B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$2.6B
$36.0B
Total Assets
$16.0B
$155.7B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.82×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Q4 25
$618.7M
$1.6B
Q3 25
$452.9M
$3.3B
Q2 25
$481.0M
$1.3B
Q1 25
$688.1M
$2.3B
Q4 24
$717.7M
$1.1B
Q3 24
$1.2B
$1.0B
Q2 24
$665.3M
$1.2B
Q1 24
$803.8M
$713.0M
Total Debt
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Q4 25
$65.6B
Q3 25
$64.6B
Q2 25
$63.0B
Q1 25
$62.9B
Q4 24
$58.8B
Q3 24
$61.3B
Q2 24
$59.9B
Q1 24
$59.4B
Stockholders' Equity
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Q4 25
$2.6B
$36.0B
Q3 25
$2.5B
$38.3B
Q2 25
$2.5B
$37.3B
Q1 25
$2.3B
$37.2B
Q4 24
$2.4B
$33.2B
Q3 24
$2.3B
$36.9B
Q2 24
$2.2B
$36.1B
Q1 24
$2.1B
$35.6B
Total Assets
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Q4 25
$16.0B
$155.7B
Q3 25
$15.2B
$153.2B
Q2 25
$15.3B
$148.9B
Q1 25
$15.0B
$148.1B
Q4 24
$14.7B
$145.2B
Q3 24
$14.4B
$144.0B
Q2 24
$13.6B
$141.9B
Q1 24
$13.2B
$140.1B
Debt / Equity
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Q4 25
1.82×
Q3 25
1.69×
Q2 25
1.69×
Q1 25
1.69×
Q4 24
1.77×
Q3 24
1.66×
Q2 24
1.66×
Q1 24
1.67×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$433.8M
$2.6B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$395.9M
$-1.7B
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
7.2%
-24.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
0.7%
61.4%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
7.62×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$1.1B
$-2.9B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Q4 25
$433.8M
$2.6B
Q3 25
$328.3M
$3.8B
Q2 25
$155.9M
$2.2B
Q1 25
$287.2M
$1.3B
Q4 24
$345.3M
$2.2B
Q3 24
$342.1M
$3.6B
Q2 24
$149.9M
$2.7B
Q1 24
$440.0M
$1.3B
Free Cash Flow
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Q4 25
$395.9M
$-1.7B
Q3 25
$298.5M
$559.0M
Q2 25
$133.4M
$-619.0M
Q1 25
$260.3M
$-1.2B
Q4 24
$316.7M
$-576.0M
Q3 24
$308.5M
$1.3B
Q2 24
$119.0M
$563.0M
Q1 24
$410.5M
$-459.0M
FCF Margin
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Q4 25
7.2%
-24.2%
Q3 25
5.2%
7.1%
Q2 25
2.2%
-8.9%
Q1 25
5.0%
-15.3%
Q4 24
6.1%
-9.1%
Q3 24
5.6%
17.9%
Q2 24
2.2%
8.7%
Q1 24
8.4%
-6.9%
Capex Intensity
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Q4 25
0.7%
61.4%
Q3 25
0.5%
41.1%
Q2 25
0.4%
40.2%
Q1 25
0.5%
31.3%
Q4 24
0.6%
43.4%
Q3 24
0.6%
31.8%
Q2 24
0.6%
32.9%
Q1 24
0.6%
26.6%
Cash Conversion
CDW
CDW
SO
SO
Q4 25
7.62×
Q3 25
1.13×
2.21×
Q2 25
0.57×
2.48×
Q1 25
1.28×
0.98×
Q4 24
4.66×
Q3 24
1.08×
2.36×
Q2 24
0.53×
2.23×
Q1 24
2.04×
1.22×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

CDW
CDW

Segment breakdown not available.

SO
SO

Other$3.9B57%
Retail Electric Commercial$1.6B23%
Natural Gas Distribution Residential$689.0M10%
Natural Gas Distribution Transportation$371.0M5%
Wholesale Non Affiliates$123.0M2%
Natural Gas Distribution Other$76.0M1%
Wholesale Electric Non PPA Revenues$62.0M1%
Wholesale Affiliates$55.0M1%
Retail Electric Other$31.0M0%
Alternative Energy$20.0M0%
Natural Gas Distribution Industrial$15.0M0%

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