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

Hewlett Packard Enterprise is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($9.7B vs $7.0B, roughly 1.4× Southern Company). Southern Company runs the higher net margin — 4.9% vs 1.8%, a 3.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Hewlett Packard Enterprise posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (14.4% vs 10.1%). Hewlett Packard Enterprise produced more free cash flow last quarter ($1.8B vs $-1.7B). Over the past eight quarters, Hewlett Packard Enterprise's revenue compounded faster (19.7% CAGR vs 2.5%).

The Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE) is an American multinational information technology company based in Spring, Texas. It is a business-focused organization which works in servers, storage, networking, containerization software and consulting and support. HPE was ranked No. 107 in the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.

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...

HPE vs SO — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
HPE
HPE
1.4× larger
HPE
$9.7B
$7.0B
SO
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
HPE
HPE
+4.3% gap
HPE
14.4%
10.1%
SO
Higher net margin
SO
SO
3.1% more per $
SO
4.9%
1.8%
HPE
More free cash flow
HPE
HPE
$3.5B more FCF
HPE
$1.8B
$-1.7B
SO
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
HPE
HPE
Annualised
HPE
19.7%
2.5%
SO

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Revenue
$9.7B
$7.0B
Net Profit
$175.0M
$341.0M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
-0.1%
13.1%
Net Margin
1.8%
4.9%
Revenue YoY
14.4%
10.1%
Net Profit YoY
-87.2%
-26.8%
EPS (diluted)
$0.13
$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
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Q4 25
$9.7B
$7.0B
Q3 25
$9.1B
$7.8B
Q2 25
$7.6B
$7.0B
Q1 25
$7.9B
$7.8B
Q4 24
$8.5B
$6.3B
Q3 24
$7.7B
$7.3B
Q2 24
$7.2B
$6.5B
Q1 24
$6.8B
$6.6B
Net Profit
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Q4 25
$175.0M
$341.0M
Q3 25
$305.0M
$1.7B
Q2 25
$-1.1B
$880.0M
Q1 25
$627.0M
$1.3B
Q4 24
$1.4B
$466.0M
Q3 24
$512.0M
$1.5B
Q2 24
$314.0M
$1.2B
Q1 24
$387.0M
$1.1B
Operating Margin
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Q4 25
-0.1%
13.1%
Q3 25
2.7%
33.2%
Q2 25
-14.5%
25.3%
Q1 25
5.5%
25.9%
Q4 24
8.2%
16.7%
Q3 24
7.1%
32.6%
Q2 24
5.9%
30.0%
Q1 24
7.8%
25.6%
Net Margin
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Q4 25
1.8%
4.9%
Q3 25
3.3%
21.9%
Q2 25
-13.8%
12.6%
Q1 25
8.0%
16.3%
Q4 24
16.2%
7.3%
Q3 24
6.6%
21.1%
Q2 24
4.4%
18.6%
Q1 24
5.7%
16.1%
EPS (diluted)
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Q4 25
$0.13
$0.38
Q3 25
$0.21
$1.54
Q2 25
$-0.82
$0.79
Q1 25
$0.44
$1.21
Q4 24
$1.02
$0.48
Q3 24
$0.38
$1.39
Q2 24
$0.24
$1.09
Q1 24
$0.29
$1.03

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$5.8B
$1.6B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$17.8B
$65.6B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$24.7B
$36.0B
Total Assets
$75.9B
$155.7B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.72×
1.82×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Q4 25
$5.8B
$1.6B
Q3 25
$4.6B
$3.3B
Q2 25
$11.7B
$1.3B
Q1 25
$13.4B
$2.3B
Q4 24
$14.8B
$1.1B
Q3 24
$3.6B
$1.0B
Q2 24
$2.7B
$1.2B
Q1 24
$3.8B
$713.0M
Total Debt
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Q4 25
$17.8B
$65.6B
Q3 25
$16.9B
$64.6B
Q2 25
$12.4B
$63.0B
Q1 25
$13.3B
$62.9B
Q4 24
$13.5B
$58.8B
Q3 24
$7.9B
$61.3B
Q2 24
$7.5B
$59.9B
Q1 24
$7.8B
$59.4B
Stockholders' Equity
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Q4 25
$24.7B
$36.0B
Q3 25
$24.4B
$38.3B
Q2 25
$23.9B
$37.3B
Q1 25
$25.2B
$37.2B
Q4 24
$24.8B
$33.2B
Q3 24
$22.1B
$36.9B
Q2 24
$21.7B
$36.1B
Q1 24
$21.4B
$35.6B
Total Assets
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Q4 25
$75.9B
$155.7B
Q3 25
$77.3B
$153.2B
Q2 25
$67.9B
$148.9B
Q1 25
$70.3B
$148.1B
Q4 24
$71.3B
$145.2B
Q3 24
$60.9B
$144.0B
Q2 24
$59.7B
$141.9B
Q1 24
$58.6B
$140.1B
Debt / Equity
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Q4 25
0.72×
1.82×
Q3 25
0.69×
1.69×
Q2 25
0.52×
1.69×
Q1 25
0.53×
1.69×
Q4 24
0.54×
1.77×
Q3 24
0.36×
1.66×
Q2 24
0.35×
1.66×
Q1 24
0.37×
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
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$2.5B
$2.6B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$1.8B
$-1.7B
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
18.8%
-24.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
6.6%
61.4%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
14.09×
7.62×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$627.0M
$-2.9B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Q4 25
$2.5B
$2.6B
Q3 25
$1.3B
$3.8B
Q2 25
$-461.0M
$2.2B
Q1 25
$-390.0M
$1.3B
Q4 24
$2.0B
$2.2B
Q3 24
$1.2B
$3.6B
Q2 24
$1.1B
$2.7B
Q1 24
$64.0M
$1.3B
Free Cash Flow
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Q4 25
$1.8B
$-1.7B
Q3 25
$729.0M
$559.0M
Q2 25
$-1.0B
$-619.0M
Q1 25
$-918.0M
$-1.2B
Q4 24
$1.4B
$-576.0M
Q3 24
$611.0M
$1.3B
Q2 24
$533.0M
$563.0M
Q1 24
$-592.0M
$-459.0M
FCF Margin
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Q4 25
18.8%
-24.2%
Q3 25
8.0%
7.1%
Q2 25
-13.2%
-8.9%
Q1 25
-11.7%
-15.3%
Q4 24
16.8%
-9.1%
Q3 24
7.9%
17.9%
Q2 24
7.4%
8.7%
Q1 24
-8.8%
-6.9%
Capex Intensity
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Q4 25
6.6%
61.4%
Q3 25
6.3%
41.1%
Q2 25
7.2%
40.2%
Q1 25
6.7%
31.3%
Q4 24
7.2%
43.4%
Q3 24
7.0%
31.8%
Q2 24
7.8%
32.9%
Q1 24
9.7%
26.6%
Cash Conversion
HPE
HPE
SO
SO
Q4 25
14.09×
7.62×
Q3 25
4.28×
2.21×
Q2 25
2.48×
Q1 25
-0.62×
0.98×
Q4 24
1.49×
4.66×
Q3 24
2.25×
2.36×
Q2 24
3.48×
2.23×
Q1 24
0.17×
1.22×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

HPE
HPE

Products$6.2B64%
Services$3.3B34%
Other$199.0M2%

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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