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

Southern Company is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($8.4B vs $7.5B, roughly 1.1× Eaton Corporation). Southern Company runs the higher net margin — 15.9% vs 11.6%, a 4.3% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Eaton Corporation posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (16.8% vs 8.0%). Over the past eight quarters, Southern Company's revenue compounded faster (14.0% CAGR vs 8.3%).

Eaton Corporation plc is an Irish multinational power management company, with a primary administrative center in Beachwood, Ohio. Eaton has more than 85,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countries.

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...

ETN vs SO — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
SO
SO
1.1× larger
SO
$8.4B
$7.5B
ETN
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
ETN
ETN
+8.8% gap
ETN
16.8%
8.0%
SO
Higher net margin
SO
SO
4.3% more per $
SO
15.9%
11.6%
ETN
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
SO
SO
Annualised
SO
14.0%
8.3%
ETN

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Revenue
$7.5B
$8.4B
Net Profit
$868.0M
$1.3B
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
24.0%
Net Margin
11.6%
15.9%
Revenue YoY
16.8%
8.0%
Net Profit YoY
-10.2%
5.4%
EPS (diluted)
$2.22

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
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Q1 26
$7.5B
$8.4B
Q4 25
$7.1B
$7.0B
Q3 25
$7.0B
$7.8B
Q2 25
$7.0B
$7.0B
Q1 25
$6.4B
$7.8B
Q4 24
$6.2B
$6.3B
Q3 24
$6.3B
$7.3B
Q2 24
$6.3B
$6.5B
Net Profit
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Q1 26
$868.0M
$1.3B
Q4 25
$1.1B
$341.0M
Q3 25
$1.0B
$1.7B
Q2 25
$982.0M
$880.0M
Q1 25
$964.0M
$1.3B
Q4 24
$971.0M
$466.0M
Q3 24
$1.0B
$1.5B
Q2 24
$993.0M
$1.2B
Gross Margin
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
36.8%
Q3 25
38.3%
Q2 25
37.0%
Q1 25
38.4%
Q4 24
38.9%
Q3 24
38.6%
Q2 24
38.0%
Operating Margin
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Q1 26
24.0%
Q4 25
18.3%
13.1%
Q3 25
18.2%
33.2%
Q2 25
16.9%
25.3%
Q1 25
18.5%
25.9%
Q4 24
18.7%
16.7%
Q3 24
19.0%
32.6%
Q2 24
18.8%
30.0%
Net Margin
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Q1 26
11.6%
15.9%
Q4 25
16.0%
4.9%
Q3 25
14.5%
21.9%
Q2 25
14.0%
12.6%
Q1 25
15.1%
16.3%
Q4 24
15.6%
7.3%
Q3 24
15.9%
21.1%
Q2 24
15.6%
18.6%
EPS (diluted)
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Q1 26
$2.22
Q4 25
$2.90
$0.38
Q3 25
$2.59
$1.54
Q2 25
$2.51
$0.79
Q1 25
$2.45
$1.21
Q4 24
$2.45
$0.48
Q3 24
$2.53
$1.39
Q2 24
$2.48
$1.09

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$186.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$21.0B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$19.8B
Total Assets
$55.1B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.06×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Q1 26
$186.0M
Q4 25
$803.0M
$1.6B
Q3 25
$565.0M
$3.3B
Q2 25
$584.0M
$1.3B
Q1 25
$1.9B
$2.3B
Q4 24
$2.1B
$1.1B
Q3 24
$2.0B
$1.0B
Q2 24
$2.8B
$1.2B
Total Debt
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Q1 26
$21.0B
Q4 25
$8.8B
$65.6B
Q3 25
$8.8B
$64.6B
Q2 25
$8.8B
$63.0B
Q1 25
$7.6B
$62.9B
Q4 24
$8.5B
$58.8B
Q3 24
$8.7B
$61.3B
Q2 24
$8.6B
$59.9B
Stockholders' Equity
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Q1 26
$19.8B
Q4 25
$19.4B
$36.0B
Q3 25
$18.8B
$38.3B
Q2 25
$18.6B
$37.3B
Q1 25
$18.5B
$37.2B
Q4 24
$18.5B
$33.2B
Q3 24
$19.1B
$36.9B
Q2 24
$19.2B
$36.1B
Total Assets
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Q1 26
$55.1B
Q4 25
$41.3B
$155.7B
Q3 25
$40.6B
$153.2B
Q2 25
$40.5B
$148.9B
Q1 25
$39.2B
$148.1B
Q4 24
$38.4B
$145.2B
Q3 24
$39.2B
$144.0B
Q2 24
$39.4B
$141.9B
Debt / Equity
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Q1 26
1.06×
Q4 25
0.45×
1.82×
Q3 25
0.46×
1.69×
Q2 25
0.47×
1.69×
Q1 25
0.41×
1.69×
Q4 24
0.46×
1.77×
Q3 24
0.45×
1.66×
Q2 24
0.45×
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
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$314.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
4.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$3.8B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
$2.0B
$2.6B
Q3 25
$1.4B
$3.8B
Q2 25
$918.0M
$2.2B
Q1 25
$238.0M
$1.3B
Q4 24
$1.6B
$2.2B
Q3 24
$1.3B
$3.6B
Q2 24
$946.0M
$2.7B
Free Cash Flow
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Q1 26
$314.0M
Q4 25
$1.6B
$-1.7B
Q3 25
$1.2B
$559.0M
Q2 25
$716.0M
$-619.0M
Q1 25
$91.0M
$-1.2B
Q4 24
$1.3B
$-576.0M
Q3 24
$1.1B
$1.3B
Q2 24
$759.0M
$563.0M
FCF Margin
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Q1 26
4.2%
Q4 25
22.3%
-24.2%
Q3 25
16.8%
7.1%
Q2 25
10.2%
-8.9%
Q1 25
1.4%
-15.3%
Q4 24
21.5%
-9.1%
Q3 24
17.7%
17.9%
Q2 24
12.0%
8.7%
Capex Intensity
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Q1 26
2.6%
Q4 25
5.6%
61.4%
Q3 25
2.5%
41.1%
Q2 25
2.9%
40.2%
Q1 25
2.3%
31.3%
Q4 24
4.1%
43.4%
Q3 24
2.9%
31.8%
Q2 24
2.9%
32.9%
Cash Conversion
ETN
ETN
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
1.74×
7.62×
Q3 25
1.34×
2.21×
Q2 25
0.93×
2.48×
Q1 25
0.25×
0.98×
Q4 24
1.64×
4.66×
Q3 24
1.30×
2.36×
Q2 24
0.95×
2.23×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

ETN
ETN

Electrical Americas$3.6B48%
Electrical Global$1.9B26%
Aerospace$1.1B15%
Mobility$766.0M10%

SO
SO

Segment breakdown not available.

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