Compare StocksAVGO vs SO

Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) vs The Southern Company (SO)

AVGO
Broadcom Inc.
$319.84
VS
SO
The Southern Company
$96.23

Rewards

AVGO
  • Gross margin of 76.7% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • Free cash flow has grown at a 18.2% CAGR over the past 4 years, demonstrating strong earnings power growth.
  • Each dollar of retained earnings has created $97.03 of market value — management is an exceptional capital allocator.
SO
  • Each dollar of retained earnings has created $5.15 of market value — management is an exceptional capital allocator.

Risks

AVGO
  • Share count has increased by 13% over the past 4 years, diluting existing shareholders.
  • FCF yield of 1.7% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
  • 6 insider sales totaling $102.2M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
SO
  • The Southern Company scores only 26/100 on the Economic Moat Score, suggesting limited durable competitive advantages.
  • Net debt/EBITDA of 5.2x indicates heavy leverage — it would take over 4 years of EBITDA to pay off net debt.
  • Altman Z-Score of 0.93 places the company in the distress zone — financial patterns resemble those of companies that experienced bankruptcy.

Key Valuation Metrics

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AVGO
SO
Valuation
$25.50B
Free Cash Flow
$-3.46B
1.68%
FCF Yield
-3.21%
62.47
Trailing P/E
24.55
18.10
Forward P/E
19.59
Quality & Moat
26.43%
ROIC
2.63%
94.91%
ROE
11.17%
76.73%
Gross Margin
48.47%
0.33
PEG Ratio
N/A
Balance Sheet Safety
1.66
Debt / Equity
1.91
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
0.79
Net Debt / EBITDA
5.20
0.81%
Dividend Yield
3.08%
AVGO: 8Ties: 1SO: 2
AVGOSO

Historical Fundamentals

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AVGO

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

SO

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

$1 Retained Earnings Test

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AVGO
$97.03
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$14.50B
Δ Market Cap
+$1.41T
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
SO
$5.15
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$3.71B
Δ Market Cap
+$19.12B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

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AVGO
8.2% Margin of Safety
Price is 8.2% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $319.84
Fair Value: $348.43
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
SO
431.7% Overvalued
Price is 431.7% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $96.23
Fair Value: $18.10
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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AVGO

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $320?

+24.2%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +22.9%

The market implies +24.2% Owner Earnings growth, roughly in line with history — reasonably priced.

Standard FCF implies +22.9%, reflecting ongoing growth investment.

SO

Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.

Economic Moat Score

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AVGO
61/100
Narrow Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Narrow moat with reinvestment efficiency as the key competitive advantage. Improving revenue predictability would strengthen the moat.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
SO
26/100
No Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

No durable moat detected, though margin stability shows some competitive positioning. The business lacks consistent evidence of sustainable advantages.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 5 years of fundamental data.

Forensic Accounting

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AVGO
-2.09
Possible Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
SO
-2.65
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Ownership Breakdown

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AVGO
Insiders 2.0%Institutions 79.5%Retail & Other 18.5%
No. of Institutional Holders5,996
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
SO
Insiders 0.1%Institutions 72.8%Retail & Other 27.1%
No. of Institutional Holders2,723
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

Insider Buying Activity

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AVGO
0
Buys (3M)
2
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $1.55M
YOU HARRY L
Director
$325,129
@ $325.13 · 2025-12-18
YOU HARRY L
Director
$1.23M
@ $345.88 · 2025-09-10
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
SO
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

Insider Selling Activity

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AVGO
6
Sells (3M)
28
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $206.93M
VELAGA S. RAM
Officer
$20.82M
@ $323.38 · 2026-03-17
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$27.06M
@ $323.39 · 2026-03-17
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$10.41M
@ $347.12 · 2026-01-06
TAN HOCK E
Chief Executive Officer
$24.31M
@ $347.30 · 2026-01-06
SPEARS KIRSTEN MARGRETA
Chief Financial Officer
$10.43M
@ $347.82 · 2025-12-31
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$9.13M
@ $352.07 · 2025-12-26
KAWWAS CHARLIE B
Officer
$1.05M
@ $332.95 · 2025-12-17
SPEARS KIRSTEN MARGRETA
Chief Financial Officer
$2.03M
@ $332.91 · 2025-12-17
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$12.54M
@ $327.65 · 2025-12-17
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$8.36M
@ $340.91 · 2025-12-16
PAGE JUSTINE F.
Director
$289,512
@ $361.89 · 2025-12-15
PAGE JUSTINE F.
Director
$264,912
@ $331.14 · 2025-11-14
PAGE JUSTINE F.
Director
$280,120
@ $350.15 · 2025-10-14
KAWWAS CHARLIE B
Officer
$2.26M
@ $352.74 · 2025-09-17
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$9.59M
@ $352.61 · 2025-09-17
PAGE JUSTINE F.
Director
$288,000
@ $360.00 · 2025-09-15
PAGE JUSTINE F.
Director
$245,968
@ $307.46 · 2025-08-14
PAGE JUSTINE F.
Director
$219,440
@ $274.30 · 2025-07-14
DELLY GAYLA J
Director
$795,390
@ $265.13 · 2025-06-26
TAN HOCK E
Chief Executive Officer
$10.73M
@ $268.29 · 2025-06-26
SPEARS KIRSTEN MARGRETA
Chief Financial Officer
$9.50M
@ $261.27 · 2025-06-24
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$13.11M
@ $262.10 · 2025-06-24
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$12.66M
@ $253.28 · 2025-06-23
SPEARS KIRSTEN MARGRETA
Chief Financial Officer
$14.18M
@ $251.75 · 2025-06-18
PAGE JUSTINE F.
Director
$200,280
@ $250.35 · 2025-06-16
PAGE JUSTINE F.
Director
$184,152
@ $230.19 · 2025-05-14
PAGE JUSTINE F.
Director
$148,000
@ $185.00 · 2025-04-14
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$5.84M
@ $194.65 · 2025-03-24
LOW CHECK KIAN
Director
$11.30M
@ $235.35 · 2025-01-06
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$4.82M
@ $238.79 · 2024-12-24
TAN HOCK E
Chief Executive Officer
$10.80M
@ $239.96 · 2024-12-24
BRYANT DIANE M
Director
$3.40M
@ $226.68 · 2024-12-23
SPEARS KIRSTEN MARGRETA
Chief Financial Officer
$2.89M
@ $229.62 · 2024-12-20
YOU HARRY L
Director
$1.57M
@ $240.00 · 2024-12-17
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$3.43M
@ $181.45 · 2024-10-11
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$3.46M
@ $182.88 · 2024-10-09
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$3.59M
@ $177.10 · 2024-10-07
DELLY GAYLA J
Director
$130,898
@ $174.53 · 2024-09-25
PAGE JUSTINE F.
Director
$444,566
@ $1750.26 · 2024-06-20
PAGE JUSTINE F.
Director
$561,600
@ $1800.00 · 2024-06-17
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$3.29M
@ $1316.46 · 2024-04-10
PAGE JUSTINE F.
Director
$145,530
@ $1323.00 · 2024-04-10
SPEARS KIRSTEN MARGRETA
Chief Financial Officer
$4.03M
@ $1343.14 · 2024-04-05
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$3.42M
@ $1367.52 · 2024-04-03
TAN HOCK E
Chief Executive Officer
$2.62M
@ $1312.25 · 2024-04-02
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$3.30M
@ $1318.98 · 2024-03-28
KAWWAS CHARLIE B
Officer
$6.72M
@ $1344.00 · 2024-03-25
BRAZEAL MARK DAVID
Officer
$3.38M
@ $1352.35 · 2024-03-25
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
SO
1
Sells (3M)
6
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $4.80M
KIM MATTHEW M.
Officer
$487,453
@ $95.15 · 2026-02-24
ANDERSON BRYAN D
Officer
$582,309
@ $93.83 · 2025-09-30
SPAINHOUR STERLING A. JR.
Officer
$226,148
@ $95.02 · 2025-08-11
GREENE KIMBERLY S
Officer
$1.25M
@ $95.00 · 2025-07-21
CUMMISKEY CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$1.10M
@ $89.54 · 2025-05-23
CONNALLY STANLEY W JR
Chief Operating Officer
$1.15M
@ $92.24 · 2025-03-31
GREENE KIMBERLY S
Chief Executive Officer
$3.00M
@ $93.12 · 2025-03-10
DAVIS MARTIN BERNARD
Chief Technology Officer
$100,811
@ $89.61 · 2025-03-03
WOMACK CHRISTOPHER C.
Chief Executive Officer
$2.20M
@ $90.13 · 2025-03-03
WOMACK CHRISTOPHER C.
Chief Executive Officer
$143,370
@ $90.00 · 2025-02-25
CUMMISKEY CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$81,184
@ $86.00 · 2025-02-19
PEOPLES JAMES JEFFREY
Chief Executive Officer
$1.25M
@ $86.00 · 2025-02-11
CUMMISKEY CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$69,739
@ $83.32 · 2025-02-04
DAVIS MARTIN BERNARD
Chief Technology Officer
$100,503
@ $85.90 · 2024-12-05
WOMACK CHRISTOPHER C.
Chief Executive Officer
$1.21M
@ $86.18 · 2024-12-05
SPAINHOUR STERLING A. JR.
Officer
$70,212
@ $88.54 · 2024-11-04
KERR JAMES Y. II
Chief Executive Officer
$2.69M
@ $89.64 · 2024-10-04
ANDERSON BRYAN D
Officer
$587,830
@ $89.54 · 2024-09-06
SPAINHOUR STERLING A. JR.
Officer
$211,796
@ $88.99 · 2024-08-05
WILSON ANTHONY L
Officer
$535,509
@ $77.61 · 2024-07-05
DRAKE SLOANE N
Officer
$931,320
@ $77.61 · 2024-07-03
GREENE KIMBERLY S
Officer
$1.50M
@ $75.02 · 2024-05-02
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

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AVGO
FearGreed
😐Neutral(51/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
SO
FearGreed
😐Neutral(60/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

⚖️ Buffett Signal

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AVGO
Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (51)
SO
Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (60)
View AVGO Full AnalysisView SO Full Analysis
Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) vs The Southern Company (SO) Stock Comparison | SafetyMargin.io