The short version

From the latest prices and each company's SEC filings. Who's ahead on each measure, not which to buy.

  • Southern is the larger company, worth $98.2B, about 1.3 times National Grid PLC ADR.
  • Southern grew revenue faster over the last year (+8.0% vs -7.4%).
  • National Grid PLC ADR keeps more of each dollar of revenue as operating profit (26.9% vs 24.2%).
  • On earnings, National Grid PLC ADR is the cheaper stock (18.5x vs 22.3x).

Side by side

The stronger figure is shaded where higher (or, for valuation multiples, lower) reads as better. How the implied growth works.

MeasureNGGSO
Market cap$73.6B$98.2B
Share price$76.48$86.17
Revenue (last fiscal year)$18.4B$29.6B
Free cash flow (last fiscal year)—-$2.9B
Revenue growth, last year-7.4%+8.0%
Revenue growth per year, last 5 fiscal years+7.7%+6.3%
Operating margin26.9%24.2%
Net margin15.8%14.5%
Return on equity7.7%10.9%
P/E (trailing)18.5x22.3x
Price / free cash flow——
EV / EBITDA13.1x11.8x
FCF growth the price implies——
Dividend yield4.4%3.4%
Debt / equity1.82x2.93x
Fundamental gradeCD
Superinvestors holding it55
Insider purchases, last 12 months02

Results from SEC filings

Revenue and free cash flow by fiscal year, from each company's 10-K filings.

National Grid PLC ADR

YearRevenueFree cash flowOp. margin
2021$13.7B—17.6%
2022$18.4B—23.7%
2023$21.7B—22.5%
2024$19.9B—22.5%
2025$18.4B—26.8%

Southern

YearRevenueFree cash flowOp. margin
2021$23.1B-$1.4B16.0%
2022$29.3B-$1.6B18.3%
2023$25.3B-$1.5B23.1%
2024$26.7B$833M26.4%
2025$29.6B-$2.9B24.7%

Where the revenue comes from

National Grid PLC ADR · by segments, 2026

New York$7.6B43%
New England$4.2B24%
UK Electricity Transmission$2.8B16%
UK Electricity Distribution$1.9B11%
National Grid Ventures$1.1B6%
Other$90M1%

Southern · by segments, 2025

Traditional Electric Operating Companies$22.1B75%
Southern Company Gas$5.0B17%
Southern Power$2.2B8%
Compare them in fullFifteen years of statements, quarterly results, DCF and IRR models, and any number of peers side by side.
Open NGG in Investingly

Questions

Which is bigger, National Grid PLC ADR or Southern?

Southern (SO), at $98.2B against $73.6B.

Is NGG or SO cheaper?

By trailing P/E, National Grid PLC ADR (18.5x) is cheaper than Southern (22.3x). A lower multiple can also mean the market expects less growth.

Which grows faster, NGG or SO?

Southern: revenue grew +8.0% over the last year, against -7.4%.

Prices and ratios as of the last daily update; statements from SEC filings. Information only, not investment advice.