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Side-by-side financial comparison of CLEVELAND-CLIFFS INC. (CLF) 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 $4.3B, roughly 1.6× CLEVELAND-CLIFFS INC.). Southern Company runs the higher net margin — 4.9% vs -5.6%, a 10.5% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Southern Company posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (146.8% vs -0.3%). Over the past eight quarters, Southern Company's revenue compounded faster (3.9% CAGR vs -8.9%).

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. is an American steel manufacturer based in Cleveland, Ohio. It specializes in the mining, beneficiation, and pelletizing of iron ore, as well as steelmaking, including stamping and tooling. The company is ranked 22nd on the list of steel producers and is the second-largest steel producer in the United States after Nucor. It is the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America. The company is ranked 221st on the Fortune 500 and 1511th on the Forbes Global 2000.

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...

CLF vs SO — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
SO
SO
1.6× larger
SO
$7.0B
$4.3B
CLF
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
SO
SO
+147.0% gap
SO
146.8%
-0.3%
CLF
Higher net margin
SO
SO
10.5% more per $
SO
4.9%
-5.6%
CLF
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
SO
SO
Annualised
SO
3.9%
-8.9%
CLF

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Revenue
$4.3B
$7.0B
Net Profit
$-241.0M
$341.0M
Gross Margin
-5.0%
Operating Margin
-7.9%
13.1%
Net Margin
-5.6%
4.9%
Revenue YoY
-0.3%
146.8%
Net Profit YoY
46.1%
483.1%
EPS (diluted)

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
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Q1 26
$7.0B
Q4 25
$4.3B
$7.0B
Q3 25
$4.7B
$7.8B
Q2 25
$4.9B
$7.0B
Q1 25
$4.6B
$7.8B
Q4 24
$4.3B
$6.3B
Q3 24
$4.6B
$7.3B
Q2 24
$5.1B
$6.5B
Net Profit
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Q1 26
$341.0M
Q4 25
$-241.0M
$341.0M
Q3 25
$-251.0M
$1.7B
Q2 25
$-470.0M
$880.0M
Q1 25
$-483.0M
$1.3B
Q4 24
$-447.0M
$466.0M
Q3 24
$-242.0M
$1.5B
Q2 24
$2.0M
$1.2B
Gross Margin
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
-5.0%
Q3 25
-1.0%
Q2 25
-4.2%
Q1 25
-8.4%
Q4 24
-6.3%
Q3 24
-2.3%
Q2 24
3.2%
Operating Margin
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Q1 26
13.1%
Q4 25
-7.9%
13.1%
Q3 25
-4.3%
33.2%
Q2 25
-10.1%
25.3%
Q1 25
-11.6%
25.9%
Q4 24
-10.8%
16.7%
Q3 24
-5.7%
32.6%
Q2 24
0.1%
30.0%
Net Margin
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Q1 26
4.9%
Q4 25
-5.6%
4.9%
Q3 25
-5.3%
21.9%
Q2 25
-9.5%
12.6%
Q1 25
-10.4%
16.3%
Q4 24
-10.3%
7.3%
Q3 24
-5.3%
21.1%
Q2 24
0.0%
18.6%
EPS (diluted)
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
$0.38
Q3 25
$-0.51
$1.54
Q2 25
$0.79
Q1 25
$1.21
Q4 24
$-0.91
$0.48
Q3 24
$-0.52
$1.39
Q2 24
$0.00
$1.09

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$57.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$7.3B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$6.1B
Total Assets
$20.0B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.19×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
$57.0M
$1.6B
Q3 25
$66.0M
$3.3B
Q2 25
$61.0M
$1.3B
Q1 25
$57.0M
$2.3B
Q4 24
$54.0M
$1.1B
Q3 24
$39.0M
$1.0B
Q2 24
$110.0M
$1.2B
Total Debt
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
$7.3B
$65.6B
Q3 25
$8.0B
$64.6B
Q2 25
$7.7B
$63.0B
Q1 25
$7.6B
$62.9B
Q4 24
$7.1B
$58.8B
Q3 24
$3.8B
$61.3B
Q2 24
$3.5B
$59.9B
Stockholders' Equity
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
$6.1B
$36.0B
Q3 25
$5.5B
$38.3B
Q2 25
$5.8B
$37.3B
Q1 25
$6.3B
$37.2B
Q4 24
$6.7B
$33.2B
Q3 24
$6.9B
$36.9B
Q2 24
$7.1B
$36.1B
Total Assets
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
$20.0B
$155.7B
Q3 25
$20.3B
$153.2B
Q2 25
$20.5B
$148.9B
Q1 25
$20.8B
$148.1B
Q4 24
$20.9B
$145.2B
Q3 24
$16.8B
$144.0B
Q2 24
$16.9B
$141.9B
Debt / Equity
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
1.19×
1.82×
Q3 25
1.47×
1.69×
Q2 25
1.33×
1.69×
Q1 25
1.22×
1.69×
Q4 24
1.06×
1.77×
Q3 24
0.55×
1.66×
Q2 24
0.49×
1.66×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-13.0M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-153.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-3.5%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
3.2%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$-1.0B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
$-13.0M
$2.6B
Q3 25
$-143.0M
$3.8B
Q2 25
$45.0M
$2.2B
Q1 25
$-351.0M
$1.3B
Q4 24
$-472.0M
$2.2B
Q3 24
$-84.0M
$3.6B
Q2 24
$519.0M
$2.7B
Free Cash Flow
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
$-153.0M
$-1.7B
Q3 25
$-300.0M
$559.0M
Q2 25
$-67.0M
$-619.0M
Q1 25
$-503.0M
$-1.2B
Q4 24
$-677.0M
$-576.0M
Q3 24
$-235.0M
$1.3B
Q2 24
$362.0M
$563.0M
FCF Margin
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
-3.5%
-24.2%
Q3 25
-6.3%
7.1%
Q2 25
-1.4%
-8.9%
Q1 25
-10.9%
-15.3%
Q4 24
-15.7%
-9.1%
Q3 24
-5.1%
17.9%
Q2 24
7.1%
8.7%
Capex Intensity
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
3.2%
61.4%
Q3 25
3.3%
41.1%
Q2 25
2.3%
40.2%
Q1 25
3.3%
31.3%
Q4 24
4.7%
43.4%
Q3 24
3.3%
31.8%
Q2 24
3.1%
32.9%
Cash Conversion
CLF
CLF
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
7.62×
Q3 25
2.21×
Q2 25
2.48×
Q1 25
0.98×
Q4 24
4.66×
Q3 24
2.36×
Q2 24
259.50×
2.23×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

CLF
CLF

Hot Rolled Steel$1.1B27%
Automotive$1.1B27%
Steel Producers$555.0M13%
Cold Rolled Steel$530.0M12%
Other$409.0M9%
Stainless And Electrical Steel$404.0M9%
Other Businesses$159.0M4%

SO
SO

Segment breakdown not available.

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