On October 22, 2026, Duke Energy Corp DUK shares rose 3.9%, bringing the current price to $125.40. This increase comes amid a 52-week range of $112.40 to $134.49, highlighting a period of volatility in the stock's performance.
GF Value™ verdict: Current price is $125.40 vs GF Value™ of $125.24, indicating a 0.1% overvaluation.GF Score™: 72/100, signaling above-average performance relative to peers.Most notable signal: Insiders sold $9.6M in stock over the past 12 months with no buying activity.Is DUK Overvalued or Undervalued?Analyzing Duke Energy's current price in relation to its GF Value™, which is GuruFocus' proprietary intrinsic value estimate based on historical trading multiples, past business growth, and future performance projections, we observe that the stock is currently trading at $125.40. The GF Value™ is estimated at $125.24, suggesting that the stock is slightly overvalued by approximately 0.1%. This marginal difference indicates a limited margin of safety for potential investors, as the GF Valuation label categorizes the stock as fairly valued.
However, this valuation may not be entirely reliable for a company like Duke Energy, which has shown signs of being unprofitable and cash-flow-negative. Given this context, investors should exercise caution, as relying solely on earnings-based valuation metrics like the P/E ratio may not provide an accurate picture of the company's financial health.
How Does DUK's Valuation Compare to Its History?MetricCurrentHistoricalP/E (TTM)18.8x20.9x (5-Year Median)Forward P/E17.5x-Duke Energy's current P/E ratio of 18.8x is notably below its 5-year median P/E of 20.9x, indicating that the stock is trading at a discount relative to its historical valuation. This P/E analysis aligns with the GF Value™ verdict, suggesting that while the stock may be slightly overvalued, it also presents some relative value when compared to its historical performance.
What Does DUK's GF Score™ Tell Us?The GF Score™ is a composite score that evaluates a company's performance across multiple dimensions, including financial strength, profitability, growth, valuation, and momentum. Duke Energy's GF Score™ of 72/100 indicates that it is performing above average compared to its peers, with particular strengths in its valuation and profitability ranks.
MetricRatingGF Score™72Financial Strength3/10Profitability7/10Growth6/10Valuation9/10Momentum3/10Duke Energy's strongest area lies in its Valuation rank, which stands at 9/10, indicating that it is relatively undervalued compared to its peers. However, the Financial Strength rank is notably weak at 3/10, suggesting concerns in this area that potential investors should be mindful of. Overall, while Duke Energy displays robust profitability, the weak financial strength and momentum rankings cast a shadow over its valuation appeal.
What Are Gurus and Insiders Doing with DUK?Currently, 10 gurus hold positions in Duke Energy, with 3 increasing their stakes while 4 have trimmed their positions in recent quarters. This activity suggests a mixed sentiment among knowledgeable investors regarding the stock's future prospects. In particular, the guru ownership signal provides a unique insight into how seasoned investors perceive the stock's valuation and potential.
On the insider front, the significant selling of $9.6 million worth of shares over the past 12 months without any buying activity raises potential red flags. This lack of insider buying could indicate a cautious outlook among executives, which may reflect concerns about the company's future performance.
What This Means for InvestorsBased on the analysis of GF Value™, Duke Energy appears to be fairly valued at present. However, the combination of weak financial strength and the recent insider selling may warrant caution for prospective investors. While the stock's historical pricing suggests some relative value, potential buyers should weigh the risks of overvaluation against the potential for performance improvement. For a more comprehensive view, consider exploring the Duke Energy Corp DUK stock page for further information.
Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is DUK's GF Score™?
DUK's GF Score™ is 72/100, indicating that the company is performing above average compared to its peers.
Is DUK overvalued or undervalued?
DUK is currently slightly overvalued based on the GF Value™ verdict, which estimates its fair value at $125.24 compared to the current price of $125.40.
What is DUK's P/E ratio?
DUK's P/E ratio is 18.8x, which is 10% below its 5-year median of 20.9x, suggesting that it is trading at a discount relative to its historical valuation.
This stock alert was generated using automated technology and GuruFocus financial data to provide readers with timely and accurate market reporting. This content was reviewed by GuruFocus editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
Disclosures
I/We may personally own shares in some of the companies mentioned above. However, those positions are not material to either the company or to my/our portfolios.
A dividend raise signals board confidence in future cash flow, but four recent raises from utilities, a coffee giant, and a fast food empire hide very different levels of safety underneath the headline numbers.
A dividend raise says more than a yield does, because a board only lifts its payout when it trusts next year’s cash flow. American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP | AEP Price Prediction) set the tone this week by raising its quarterly dividend to 97 cents a share. Three more U.S.-listed companies have put the same kind of signal in writing over the past several weeks, and each one passes our minimum yield bar. Two are regulated utilities, and two are restaurant giants. Each raise depends on a different engine: data center power demand, Sun Belt customer growth, a coffee turnaround and a franchise royalty machine. Here is how safe each payout looks.
American Electric Power: Data Center Demand Funds a Bigger Check AEP’s new 97-cent quarterly rate replaces the $0.95 it paid over the previous four quarters. The 2.1% increase lifts the annualized payout to $3.88 a share. Based on trailing payments, the stock yields 3.03% at a recent $127.17.
Dividend safety: Coverage is comfortable for a utility. Trailing dividends of $3.78 equal 65.5% of trailing EPS of $5.77. The new run rate works out to about 62% of the low end of management’s raised 2026 operating EPS guidance of $6.25 to $6.55. AEP funds its $78 billion five-year capital plan partly with outside capital, including a recently completed $2.6 billion equity offering and roughly $5 billion in DOE loans. That means regulated earnings cover the dividend. The record has been steady, with the quarterly rate rising from $0.50 in 2014 to $0.95 before this latest step.
Bull case: AEP has 69 GW of signed new load through 2030 from hyperscalers, data centers and industrial customers. It also reaffirmed 7% to 9% annual operating earnings growth through 2030. In the past two weeks, it announced a 702MW fuel cell energy solution for a major tech customer and an advanced nuclear partnership in Indiana. Alongside second-quarter results, Chief Executive Bill Fehrman said he is “highly confident in our robust business performance.” Utilities like AEP are only one piece of the AI expansion, and we rounded up seven more suppliers (power, cooling, networking) in a free report on the picks-and-shovels side of AI.
Risk: Regulators are the swing factor. AEP has disclosed a partial disallowance of its Unified Tracker Mechanism at AEP Texas and a Pirkey Plant disallowance. Both are reminders that capital spending only earns a return when commissions allow recovery.
Duke Energy: The Highest Yield in the Group Just Got Bigger Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) raised its quarterly dividend to $1.085 from $1.065, a 1.9% increase first paid on September 16. Its October 1 dividend announcement kept the higher rate in place for the December 16 payment. The forward annual payout is $4.34, and at $120.03 the stock yields 3.57%, the highest of the four.
Dividend safety: Trailing dividends of $4.26 equal about 63% of trailing EPS of $6.75. The forward payout comes to roughly 66% of the low end of reaffirmed 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $6.55 to $6.80. Operating cash flow reached $12.33 billion in 2025, and Duke closed $5.3 billion in strategic transactions to shore up its balance sheet. The increases have been consistent, climbing from $0.945 before the 2020 raise to $1.085 today, with a step up every year; quarterly payments in the record go back to 1999.
The bull thesis: Second-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.43 beat the $1.31 consensus, Duke’s fifth straight beat, and the company has secured 7.6 GW of economic development projects. Retail customers grew 1.4% to about 8.73 million. Management expects to land in the top half of its 5% to 7% long-term growth range starting in 2028. Shares are down 3.19% over the past year and trade at a forward P/E of 16, which keeps the entry yield high.
Risk: Financing costs eat into growth. In the second quarter, higher depreciation cut $0.09 per share and higher interest expense cut $0.04 per share, and both costs grow as the asset base expands.
Starbucks: A Fresh Raise Riding a Real Turnaround Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) declared a $0.63 quarterly dividend on October 7, up from $0.62. That 1.6% raise is payable November 27. At $98.75, the stock yields 2.45%.
Dividend safety: The track record is the best point: 65 consecutive quarters of payouts with a 17% compound annual growth rate, according to the company. Coverage is the lowest in this group, though. The $2.52 forward annual payout represents about 99% of the low end of raised fiscal 2026 non-GAAP EPS guidance of $2.55 to $2.65. Against a free cash flow yield of 2.16%, the dividend takes roughly 113% of trailing free cash flow. Buybacks have driven shareholders’ equity to-$7.67 billion. Interest coverage of 6.60 times and net debt at 4.37 times EBITDA keep debt service manageable.
The bull thesis: the turnaround now shows up in the numbers. Fiscal third-quarter global comparable sales rose 7.9%, North America comps climbed 8.1%, and non-GAAP operating margin expanded 430 basis points to 14.4%. Non-GAAP EPS of $0.85 beat the $0.65 consensus by 30.79%. Moving China to a licensed joint venture model has already lifted International operating margin by 550 basis points. As earnings grow into the payout, coverage improves on its own.
Risk: Execution. Shares trade at 61 times trailing earnings, and third-quarter restructuring and impairment charges of $302.6 million show the rebuild still costs money.
McDonald’s: The Biggest Raise of the Bunch From a Royalty Machine McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) raised its quarterly dividend to $1.93 from $1.86 when it declared its December payment on September 17. The 3.8% increase is the largest percentage raise in this group. At $246.19, the stock yields 2.93%.
Dividend safety: McDonald’s has raised its quarterly dividend every year since 2008, when it paid $0.375 per quarter. Trailing dividends of $7.35 equal about 60% of trailing EPS of $12.31. With a 4.12% free cash flow yield, the dividend uses roughly 71% of free cash flow. Years of buybacks have left book equity negative, but interest coverage of 7.83 times and net debt at 3.70 times EBITDA show a business built to carry that leverage.
Bull case: About 95% of its restaurants are franchised, so most of its revenue comes as rent and royalties. The system has grown to 46,028 restaurants, the loyalty program has nearly 220 million 90-day active users, and the company is targeting 50,000 units by 2028. Shares are down 17.87% year to date and trade at a forward P/E of 17, which lifts the yield at the current price.
Risk: Traffic. Global comparable sales grew just 1.3% in the second quarter, down from 3.8% a year earlier, and U.S. guest counts were negative.
Four Raises, Four Engines Behind the Income AEP and Duke Energy are turning grid demand into regulated earnings growth, and they offer the highest yields here. McDonald’s posted the largest dividend increase, backed by royalty cash flow. Starbucks has the most turnaround upside but the lowest buffer. Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) also raised its quarterly dividend 10.1% to $0.87, but its 1.2% yield falls short of the 2% minimum every stock in this list had to pass.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Rodeo highlights the skills Duke Energy lineworkers use every day to maintain and upgrade the grid, restore service after storms and outages and support growing communities , /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy teams earned six awards at the International Lineman's Rodeo, one of the world's premier lineworker competitions, held Oct. 17 in Bonner Springs, Kansas.
Among the honors, Justin McCarson, Heath Burrell and Miles Bell placed second overall in the journeyman division, while Keith Griffin, Jay Tipton and Sandy Barnhill took first place in the journeyman seniors division.
The big picture
This year's International Lineman's Rodeo brought together approximately 1,250 competitors from around the world. Duke Energy sent 57 lineworkers who earned their spots by ranking among the top performers at the company's regional rodeos earlier in 2026.
For more than 40 years, the International Lineman's Rodeo has tested lineworkers in events modeled on the real-world tasks they perform to maintain the electric grid and restore power. Competitors are evaluated on speed, agility, technique and adherence to safety procedures.
Why it matters
Every day, Duke Energy lineworkers help keep power flowing to homes, businesses and critical services by maintaining and upgrading the electric grid, restoring power after severe weather and deploying advanced technologies that improve reliability.
Their work helps reduce the impact of outages, accelerate power restoration and support growing communities across Duke Energy's service territories. Lineworkers also play a key role in installing smart, self-healing technology that can detect outages, automatically reroute power and often restore service in less than a minute.
As energy needs continue to evolve, their expertise helps strengthen the grid and deliver long-term value for customers through safer, more reliable and more resilient service.
Our winners
Journeyman Mystery Event #1
First place – Justin McCarson (Hendersonville, N.C.), Heath Burrell (Hendersonville, N.C.), Miles Bell (Tryon, N.C.) Journeyman IOU
Second place – Justin McCarson (Hendersonville, N.C.), Heath Burrell (Hendersonville, N.C.), Miles Bell (Tryon, N.C.) Fourth place – Tyler Nickols (Marion, N.C.), Joshua Buckner (Marion, N.C.), Tyler Manick (Old Fort, N.C.) Journeyman Seniors
First place – Keith Griffin (Marshall, N.C.), Jay Tipton (Marshall, N.C.), Sandy Barnhill (Fuquay Varina, N.C.) Second place – Matthew Clark (Benson, N.C.), Danny Haithcock (Timmonsville, N.C.), Hunter Boone (Southern Pines, N.C.) Journeyman Overall
Second place – Justin McCarson (Hendersonville, N.C.), Heath Burrell (Hendersonville, N.C.), Miles Bell (Tryon, N.C.) What we're saying
Scott Batson, executive vice president and chief power grid officer for Duke Energy:
"We are incredibly proud of our competitors and the way they represent Duke Energy and the communities we serve. The skill, discipline and commitment they demonstrate at the International Lineman's Rodeo reflect the dedication all Duke Energy lineworkers bring to serving customers every day – strengthening reliability, responding when customers need us and delivering safe, dependable service."
"Competing at the International Lineman's Rodeo and bringing home an award is something I'm incredibly proud of, but it's bigger than any one person. This job takes teamwork, trust and looking out for the person working beside you. We bring that mindset to our work every day as we serve our customers and communities. That's what makes this job so rewarding."
Zoom out
As Duke Energy continues investing in grid modernization and resiliency improvements, highly trained lineworkers remain essential to delivering safe, reliable service, supporting economic growth and meeting the evolving energy needs of customers and communities.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs. More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
Duke Energy (DUK - Free Report) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock's performance in the near term.
Over the past month, shares of this electric utility have returned +4.3%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% change. During this period, the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry, which Duke Energy falls in, has gained 2.4%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?
While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.
Earnings Estimate RevisionsHere at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock.
Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements.
Duke Energy is expected to post earnings of $1.87 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +3.3%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -1.7%.
For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $6.72 points to a change of +6.5% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has remained unchanged.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $7.15 indicates a change of +6.5% from what Duke Energy is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has remained unchanged.
Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, Duke Energy is rated Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Revenue Growth ForecastWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.
In the case of Duke Energy, the consensus sales estimate of $8.9 billion for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of +4.2%. The $33.81 billion and $35.57 billion estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of +4.9% and +5.2%, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryDuke Energy reported revenues of $7.59 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +1.1%. EPS of $1.43 for the same period compares with $1.25 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.71 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of -1.59%. The EPS surprise was +10.85%.
Over the last four quarters, Duke Energy surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates three times over this period.
ValuationWithout considering a stock's valuation, no investment decision can be efficient. In predicting a stock's future price performance, it's crucial to determine whether its current price correctly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects.
While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.
As part of the Zacks Style Scores system, the Zacks Value Style Score (which evaluates both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics) organizes stocks into five groups ranging from A to F (A is better than B; B is better than C; and so on), making it helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
Duke Energy is graded C on this front, indicating that it is trading at par with its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
ConclusionThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Duke Energy. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
Duke Energy (DUK - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $121.33, demonstrating a +1.73% change from the preceding day's closing price. The stock's change was more than the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.28%. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 1.02%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 0.02%.
The electric utility's shares have seen an increase of 2.17% over the last month, surpassing the Utilities sector's gain of 0.49% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.67%.
The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of Duke Energy in its forthcoming earnings report. The company is scheduled to release its earnings on November 5, 2026. The company is expected to report EPS of $1.86, up 2.76% from the prior-year quarter. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $8.9 billion, up 4.15% from the prior-year quarter.
For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $6.72 per share and revenue of $33.81 billion, which would represent changes of +6.5% and +4.89%, respectively, from the prior year.
Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Duke Energy. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the business health and profitability.
Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 0.01% downward. Duke Energy is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.
In terms of valuation, Duke Energy is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 17.76. This indicates a premium in contrast to its industry's Forward P/E of 17.08.
We can also see that DUK currently has a PEG ratio of 2.78. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. The Utility - Electric Power was holding an average PEG ratio of 2.5 at yesterday's closing price.
The Utility - Electric Power industry is part of the Utilities sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 156, putting it in the bottom 37% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.
Replacing a six-figure salary with passive dividend income sounds straightforward until you realize your yield choice could mean the difference between needing $1.2 million or $4 million in the bank.
It’s safe to say that a $140,000 salary supports a comfortable upper-middle-class life in most of the country. Replacing it with dividends means building a portfolio whose annual payouts match that paycheck without selling shares. The math is simple: income target divided by yield equals capital required. Your yield choice determines whether the target is roughly $1 million or $4 million.
Of course, don’t forget that taxes will absolutely shape the target. Dividends carry no payroll tax. For 2026, a married couple taking the $32,200 standard deduction on $140,000 of income has $107,800 of taxable income. That puts them just past the $100,800 threshold where the 22% bracket begins for joint filers. Qualified dividends from most blue chips get lower capital gains rates. Most REIT payouts are taxed as ordinary income.
Conservative Tier: $3.5 Million to $4 Million at 3.5% to 4% The conservative math starts with $140,000 divided by 0.04, which equals $3,500,000. At 3.5%, $140,000 divided by 0.035 equals $4,000,000.
This level supports dividend-growth stocks and broad dividend funds. Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK | DUK Price Prediction) yields about 3.6% and reaffirmed 5-7% EPS growth through 2030. PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) yields about 4.5%, though it lowered 2026 core EPS growth to +2.5% to +3.5%.
Lower yielders with long records pull the blended yield down and the capital requirement up. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) yields about 2.7% but just logged its 70th consecutive year of increases. Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) yields about 2.3%. Johnson & Johnson raised its quarterly payout from $1.30 to $1.34 this year.
The tradeoff: you need the most capital, but income rises on its own, and principal tends to appreciate. This is the sleep-at-night level.
Moderate Tier: $2 Million to $2.3 Million at 6% to 7% At the moderate level, $140,000 divided by 0.06 equals about $2,333,333. At a 7% yield, $140,000 divided by 0.07 equals $2,000,000.
REITs, preferred shares, covered call ETFs, and high-dividend equity funds live here. Realty Income (NYSE:O) yields about 5.8% and pays monthly. At that yield, $140,000 requires roughly $2.41 million. The REIT has raised its dividend for over 31 consecutive years.
The cost is slower growth. Realty Income’s monthly dividend moved from $0.2565 in early 2024 to $0.2715 now. Covered call strategies cap upside, and preferred dividends stay fixed. Over decades, inflation erodes this income.
Aggressive Tier: $1.2 Million to $1.4 Million at 10% to 12% If you take a more aggressive approach, $140,000 divided by 0.10 equals $1,400,000. At 12%, $140,000 divided by 0.12 equals about $1,166,667.
Business development companies, mortgage REITs, covered call funds that use leverage, and high-yield bond funds typically yield 8% to 14%. Many pay out more than they earn, so net asset value erodes and distributions get cut. You spend down the asset instead of living off its growth.
Why the Lower Yield Often Wins Within a Decade Take the $4,000,000 portfolio at 3.5%. If its dividends grow 8% a year, income reaches about $279,861 by year nine, roughly double the starting paycheck. Now, consider the $1,166,667 fund at 12%. If erosion cuts its payout 3% a year, a common pattern for high-payout funds, income falls to about $106,432 over the same nine years. Prices rise while that check shrinks.
Real records show the growth math at work. Duke’s quarterly dividend rose from $0.825 in 2016 to $1.085. Coca-Cola’s dividend climbed from $0.35 to $0.53 over the same period. The aggressive level gets you to $140,000 with less money, and the conservative level keeps your income ahead of inflation for decades.
Three Moves Before You Choose a Tier Price your spending, not your salary. A $140,000 paycheck covers payroll taxes, 401(k) contributions, and commuting costs that disappear once you stop working. If you actually spend $110,000, every tier’s capital requirement falls with it. Mix the level on purpose. Build a dividend-growth core and add a REIT or preferred allocation to raise current yield. You need less starting capital. This beats a pure 3.5% portfolio on cost and keeps more growth than a pure high-yield one. Match each holding to the right account. REITs and BDCs pay mostly ordinary income, so they belong in IRAs. Qualified-dividend payers like P&G and Coca-Cola get their lower rates in taxable accounts. Run your own bracket before you commit capital. Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Edison International and Duke Energy both confirmed the same long-term growth targets and just raised their dividends, but a closer look at what backs each payout reveals a striking divide in risk that retirees depending on that income cannot afford…
Edison International (NYSE:EIX | EIX Price Prediction) and Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) both beat second-quarter EPS estimates and confirmed 5-7% long-term growth. Edison now pays $0.8775 per quarter, up from $0.8275. Duke pays $1.085, up from $1.065. For retirees, the question is which payout stands on firmer ground.
Wildfire Cleanup Lifts Edison While Data Centers Pull Duke Forward Edison’s core EPS of $1.54 beat the $1.21 consensus. The rate case decision for its Southern California Edison (SCE) utility helped, and so did lower interest costs after the Woolsey Fire securitization raised about $2 billion. Less debt means less strain on the payout. SCE has also hardened about 90% of its high-fire-risk distribution lines.
Duke posted adjusted EPS of $1.43, ahead of the $1.31 estimate. Its engine is large-load demand. Duke has signed 7.8 gigawatts of data-center service agreements, and those contracts include minimum-take provisions. That takes hoped-for AI demand closer to booked revenue. CEO Harry Sideris said, “Growth continues to define our service territories.”
Dividend Lens Edison Duke Latest raise 6% 1.9% Forward yield 6.3% 3.7% Dividend vs. 2026 EPS guidance midpoint 58% 65% Growth streak 22 years 20+ years 10-year share price change 21.27% 127.91% Edison pays the bigger yield and gives the faster increases. Duke has delivered far more price growth, and for a retiree living off the portfolio, that matters as much as yield.
California Litigation Risk Meets Southeast Scale Edison’s yield comes with a price. Management now says SCE equipment “likely was associated with” the Eaton Fire, and more than 30,000 claims have been filed in litigation. S&P recently cut SCE’s rating by one notch. Still, Edison expects no new equity through 2030, which protects per-share income.
Duke spreads its exposure across six states and about 10M customers. It is also on track for 14.5% FFO-to-debt this year, a buffer against downgrades. On the other side of the ledger, a $103B capital plan means some dilution, starting with $600 million already priced through its at-the-market program.
Sacramento and Raleigh Decide What Comes Next Whether California passes a permanent wildfire framework bears watching. Management warned that a weak bill could push financing costs higher. For Duke, keep an eye on the North Carolina rate orders expected by mid-November. The settlement includes a 9.8% ROE, which is a positive sign.
Why Duke Looks Steadier for Retirement Income For income that needs to arrive without drama, Duke’s profile looks steadier. Its main risks are building projects on schedule and winning rate cases, and its regulators have addressed both well so far. Edison’s 6.3% yield comes with litigation headlines attached. I would change my mind if California passes a credit-supportive bill that lifts the Eaton overhang. Retirees considering how a utility payout fits into a broader monthly income plan can see the mix, payment calendar, and withdrawal order we laid out in a free guide here.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Duke Energy is pouring $103 billion into infrastructure while paying dividends it cannot fully cover with its own cash flow. Whether that balancing act can last depends on forces largely outside the company's control.
Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK | DUK Price Prediction) announced its latest quarterly dividend on October 1, 2026. Shareholders will receive $1.085 per share, paid December 16. That confirms this year’s raise from $1.065, an increase of 1.9%. The forward annual payout is now $4.34, which works out to a yield of about 3.6% at $119.82. For income investors, the question is whether the raises can keep coming while Duke carries out a $103 billion five-year capital plan.
Regulators Decide How Fast the Dividend Grows A regulated utility makes money by building infrastructure, and state commissions then let it recover those costs, plus an allowed return, through customer rates. That makes Duke’s earnings growth largely a function of how fast its rate base expands and how much of that spending regulators approve. An industrial company can raise prices or cut costs on its own. Duke needs a commission’s permission. Its capital plan targets 9.6% earnings base growth through 2030. Management credits recent rate case approvals in Indiana, the Carolinas and Florida with driving results.
That approach produced adjusted EPS of $1.43 in the second quarter, compared with a $1.31 consensus. Chief Executive Harry Sideris said:
“We had a strong first half of the year, achieving constructive regulatory outcomes, advancing strategic priorities and maintaining excellence in our operational and financial performance.”
Spending Outruns Cash Flow Every Year In 2025, Duke generated $12.35 billion in operating cash flow. It spent $14.02 billion on capital projects and paid $3.3 billion in dividends. That left a shortfall of about $4.97 billion, which was covered with outside financing. Capital spending has topped operating cash flow in every year from 2017 through 2025, and in practice, debt and equity markets fund part of the dividend. That is normal for utilities, but it ties future raises to Duke’s ability to keep raising capital at reasonable cost.
Earnings coverage looks sounder. The $4.34 forward payout equals about 65% of the center of Duke’s 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $6.55 to $6.80.
Rising Interest Costs Limit the Room Duke reports $201.09 billion in total assets against $54.75 billion in shareholders’ equity. Higher interest expense cut EPS by $0.04 to $0.05 per share, and higher depreciation on its growing asset base took off another $0.09. Every rise in borrowing costs makes the capital plan more expensive to fund, and regulators recover those costs with a lag.
Two Cents a Year, Like Clockwork Duke’s quarterly dividend rose from $1.005 to $1.025 in 2023, then to $1.045 in 2024, $1.065 in 2025 and $1.085 in 2026. Each raise was two cents. The record is reliable, but the increases are small.
Southern Company (NYSE:SO) follows the same pattern. It raised its dividend from $0.74 to $0.76, or 2.7%, and has a 78-year dividend run. NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) raised its payout by 10% to $0.6232. It plans to slow that pace to 6% per year from year-end 2026 through 2028.
What Duke’s Dividend Record Means for Income Investors Yes, Duke will keep raising its dividend, at about 2% a year. Management targets 5% to 7% adjusted EPS growth through 2030. That is more than double the pace of recent dividend raises, so the payout ratio should shrink over time. Sideris said in February:
“With the largest regulated capital plan in the industry, a balance sheet prepared for growth, and contracted demand from AI and advanced manufacturing, we are well-positioned to deliver 5% to 7% EPS growth through 2030.”
Retirees should expect steady raises at about the same 2% pace, and larger increases are unlikely while the capital plan draws Duke’s cash. The next update comes with third-quarter results on Nov. 5. Watch for any change to financing plans or regulatory recovery, because those decide how fast the dividend can grow.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Duke Energy (DUK - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $119.64, moving +1.23% from the previous trading session. The stock outpaced the S&P 500's daily loss of 1.11%. At the same time, the Dow lost 0.09%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 1.88%.
Prior to today's trading, shares of the electric utility had gained 0.36% outpaced the Utilities sector's loss of 1.53% and lagged the S&P 500's gain of 2.06%.
The upcoming earnings release of Duke Energy will be of great interest to investors. The company's earnings report is expected on November 5, 2026. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $1.88, marking a 3.87% rise compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $8.86 billion, up 3.74% from the prior-year quarter.
For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $6.72 per share and a revenue of $33.79 billion, representing changes of +6.5% and +4.81%, respectively, from the prior year.
It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Duke Energy. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the business performance and profit potential.
Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.01% lower. Currently, Duke Energy is carrying a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
In terms of valuation, Duke Energy is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 17.59. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 17.35, which means Duke Energy is trading at a premium to the group.
Investors should also note that DUK has a PEG ratio of 2.76 right now. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. Utility - Electric Power stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 2.53 based on yesterday's closing prices.
The Utility - Electric Power industry is part of the Utilities sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 90, placing it within the top 37% of over 250 industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Given the Sunshine State has the second-highest electric vehicle (EV) registrations in the nation, Duke Energy Florida is reminding EV-driving customers about the range of programs the company offers to help them save money. For instance, since the Off-Peak Charging Credit program launched in 2022, enrolled customers have received a collective $1.5 million – in the form of bill credits – for changing their charging behavior.
How it works:
Duke Energy Florida's Off-Peak Charging Credit program allows customers to get paid for charging their EVs during times when demand for energy is typically lower. Eligible customers using a Level 2 charger can earn a $7.50 credit on their monthly electric bills for charging their EVs during these off-peak hours – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Friday and anytime on weekends and holidays.
Our view:
"We're always looking for ways to help our customers save money," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "For EV drivers, participating in the Off-Peak Charging Credit program is a simple, almost effortless way to lower their monthly bills, so we encourage all eligible customers to sign up and start taking advantage of it today."
Learn more:
The Off-Peak Charging Credit program is available to all Duke Energy Florida residential customers, and up to two EVs can be enrolled per account. For more information and to apply for the program, please visit duke-energy.com/OffPeak.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
Contact: Aly Raschid
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
X: @DE_AlyRaschid
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/plug-in-get-paid-duke-energy-florida-program-offers-bill-credits-for-customers-charging-evs-at-certain-times-302907219.html
, /PRNewswire/ -- Given the Sunshine State has the second-highest electric vehicle (EV) registrations in the nation, Duke Energy Florida is reminding EV-driving customers about the range of programs the company offers to help them save money. For instance, since the Off-Peak Charging Credit program launched in 2022, enrolled customers have received a collective $1.5 million – in the form of bill credits – for changing their charging behavior.
How it works:
Duke Energy Florida's Off-Peak Charging Credit program allows customers to get paid for charging their EVs during times when demand for energy is typically lower. Eligible customers using a Level 2 charger can earn a $7.50 credit on their monthly electric bills for charging their EVs during these off-peak hours – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Friday and anytime on weekends and holidays.
Our view:
"We're always looking for ways to help our customers save money," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "For EV drivers, participating in the Off-Peak Charging Credit program is a simple, almost effortless way to lower their monthly bills, so we encourage all eligible customers to sign up and start taking advantage of it today."
Learn more:
The Off-Peak Charging Credit program is available to all Duke Energy Florida residential customers, and up to two EVs can be enrolled per account. For more information and to apply for the program, please visit duke-energy.com/OffPeak.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
Contact: Aly Raschid
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
X: @DE_AlyRaschid
Key Takeaways Duke Energy restored approximately 10,000 customers in North Florida following Hurricane Isaias as of Oct. 10.Duke Energy will invest $103 billion during 2026-2030 to expand generation capacity and grid infrastructure.DUK forecasts 6.5% annual EPS growth in 2026 and 2027, while trading at a P/E premium to the industry. Duke Energy (DUK - Free Report) is nearing the completion of power restoration across North Florida following Hurricane Isaias. As of Oct. 10, the company had restored approximately 10,000 customers.
The response highlights the importance of maintaining resilient electricity infrastructure in storm-prone regions. Duke Energy stated that investments in a stronger, smarter grid help reduce outages, shorten their duration and accelerate restoration following severe weather. Although the company did not quantify the specific contribution of these improvements during Isaias, the event underscores the operational value of grid reliability initiatives.
Duke Energy Florida follows a systematic restoration process that prioritizes safety and aims to restore power to the greatest number of customers as quickly as possible. Crews first address downed power lines and then repair critical transmission infrastructure, substations and major distribution lines.
This approach illustrates why utilities need both reliable infrastructure and sufficient emergency-response resources. Severe weather can damage multiple parts of the electricity network simultaneously, requiring coordinated repairs and careful prioritization. For Duke Energy, grid upgrades and operational preparedness remain important elements of its broader strategy to strengthen reliability and serve customer demand.
Duke Energy’s infrastructure strategy extends beyond immediate storm recovery. The company continues to position its approximately $103 billion investment plan for 2026-2030 as a core driver of regulated rate base growth. During the second quarter of 2026, management said DUK was deploying more than $1 billion per month to expand generation capacity and grid infrastructure across its regulated jurisdictions.
Utilities Focus on Grid Modernization and ReliabilityDuke Energy’s response to Hurricane Isaias highlights the operational importance of grid modernization and coordinated restoration efforts. As utilities keep investing in infrastructure, reliability improvements may help protect customers and support long-term service quality.
NextEra Energy (NEE - Free Report) operates Florida Power & Light, one of the state's major electric utilities. Its regulated utility business provides a relevant comparison for investors evaluating grid modernization, electricity reliability and infrastructure investment in the state.
Southern Company (SO - Free Report) serves customers across several southeastern states through its regulated utility businesses. It balances infrastructure investment, reliable service and the financial implications of severe weather while meeting customer demand.
DUK’s Earnings EstimatesThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 EPS indicates an increase of 6.5% each, year over year.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
DUK Stock Trading at a PremiumDUK is trading at a premium relative to the industry, with a forward 12-month price-to-earnings of 16.67X compared with the industry average of 14.04X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
DUK Stock Price PerformanceIn the past three months, the company’s shares have lost 6.8% compared with the industry’s 10.6% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
DUK’s Zacks RankThe company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Funding supports more than 20 organizations with grants up to $10,000, /PRNewswire/ -- The heart of the local economy in many communities across South Carolina is a vibrant and bustling Main Street or similar business district.
That's why the Duke Energy Foundation is investing $190,000 in South Carolina communities to strengthen these downtown districts, neighborhood centers and commercial corridors. Funds will be used for facade improvements, wayfinding signage, public gathering spaces and small business incentive programs or microgrants.
Our view: "Strong communities start with vibrant places where people can connect and support one another," said Tim Pearson, Duke Energy South Carolina president. "Through our Main Street revitalization grants, we're helping communities invest in the projects that matter most to them. These investments can make a meaningful difference in creating places that support residents, encourage economic growth and improve quality of life for the people who call these places home."
Where the money goes: Twenty-two organizations have received a grant that will help support community-led projects aimed at transforming downtowns, businesses and neighborhood centers into vibrant places to live, work and gather.
City of AndersonCity of BishopvilleCity of ChesterCity of ClemsonCity of DarlingtonCity of DillonCity of Fountain InnCity of GreenwoodCity of InmanCity of ManningCity of NewberryCity of SumterCity of WestminsterFlorence Downtown
Development CorporationLaurens County
Chamber FoundationOneSpartanburg Inc.
FoundationTown of AndrewsTown of ClioTown of IvaTown of LowrysTown of PamplicoTown of Ware ShoalsPositive Response:
Andrew Strickland, City of Anderson assistant city manager: "We're grateful to Duke Energy for this grant to support a new trailhead sign at Linley Park. We recently completed the Whitner Creek Greenway connection from the Recreation Center to the revitalized park, giving residents and visitors more opportunities to walk and enjoy the outdoors. This sign will help people find their way and feel welcome exploring the trail."
Curtis Boyd, City of Darlington mayor: "We are so grateful for Duke Energy Foundation's investment in the continued revitalization of Darlington and in the local businesses that are at the heart of our community. With this support, our businesses will be able to make meaningful improvements to their storefronts and building facades that will enhance the appearance and vitality of our downtown. Partnerships like this help a small community like ours build on the progress already underway, strengthen community pride, and encourage continued economic investment."
Dabs Davis, Laurens County Chamber of Commerce president/CEO: "This grant from the Duke Energy Foundation allows us to invest directly in the small businesses that are such an important part of the fabric of Laurens County. These microgrants will help established businesses make meaningful improvements, strengthen their operations and continue investing in our community, creating a ripple effect that supports revitalization, encourages local spending and strengthens our local economy."
Tally McColl, City of Dillon mayor: "We are extremely grateful to the Duke Energy Foundation for this $10,000 investment in downtown Dillon. This grant will allow us to create a more welcoming and connected downtown while sharing the history of important places throughout the City of Dillon. The Historic Dillon tour banners will guide residents and visitors along Main Street and connect them to the photographs and stories that tell the broader story of our community. The grant will also give our Uniform Sign Program a fresh new look and continue making our local businesses easier to identify. Partnerships like this allow small cities to turn good ideas into visible progress, and we are thankful for the opportunity to work alongside Duke Energy as we continue strengthening our downtown."
Duke Energy Foundation
Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
Media Contact: Catherine Ramirez
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duke-energy-foundation-investing-nearly-200-000-in-south-carolina-communities-to-support-main-street-revitalization-efforts-302905749.html
Funding supports more than 20 organizations with grants up to $10,000
, /PRNewswire/ -- The heart of the local economy in many communities across South Carolina is a vibrant and bustling Main Street or similar business district.
That's why the Duke Energy Foundation is investing $190,000 in South Carolina communities to strengthen these downtown districts, neighborhood centers and commercial corridors. Funds will be used for facade improvements, wayfinding signage, public gathering spaces and small business incentive programs or microgrants.
Our view: "Strong communities start with vibrant places where people can connect and support one another," said Tim Pearson, Duke Energy South Carolina president. "Through our Main Street revitalization grants, we're helping communities invest in the projects that matter most to them. These investments can make a meaningful difference in creating places that support residents, encourage economic growth and improve quality of life for the people who call these places home."
Where the money goes: Twenty-two organizations have received a grant that will help support community-led projects aimed at transforming downtowns, businesses and neighborhood centers into vibrant places to live, work and gather.
City of Anderson
City of Bishopville
City of Chester
City of Clemson
City of Darlington
City of Dillon
City of Fountain Inn
City of Greenwood
City of Inman
City of Manning
City of Newberry
City of Sumter
City of Westminster
Florence Downtown
Development Corporation
Laurens County
Chamber Foundation
OneSpartanburg Inc.
Foundation
Town of Andrews
Town of Clio
Town of Iva
Town of Lowrys
Town of Pamplico
Town of Ware Shoals
Positive Response:
Andrew Strickland, City of Anderson assistant city manager: "We're grateful to Duke Energy for this grant to support a new trailhead sign at Linley Park. We recently completed the Whitner Creek Greenway connection from the Recreation Center to the revitalized park, giving residents and visitors more opportunities to walk and enjoy the outdoors. This sign will help people find their way and feel welcome exploring the trail."
Curtis Boyd, City of Darlington mayor: "We are so grateful for Duke Energy Foundation's investment in the continued revitalization of Darlington and in the local businesses that are at the heart of our community. With this support, our businesses will be able to make meaningful improvements to their storefronts and building facades that will enhance the appearance and vitality of our downtown. Partnerships like this help a small community like ours build on the progress already underway, strengthen community pride, and encourage continued economic investment."
Dabs Davis, Laurens County Chamber of Commerce president/CEO: "This grant from the Duke Energy Foundation allows us to invest directly in the small businesses that are such an important part of the fabric of Laurens County. These microgrants will help established businesses make meaningful improvements, strengthen their operations and continue investing in our community, creating a ripple effect that supports revitalization, encourages local spending and strengthens our local economy."
Tally McColl, City of Dillon mayor: "We are extremely grateful to the Duke Energy Foundation for this $10,000 investment in downtown Dillon. This grant will allow us to create a more welcoming and connected downtown while sharing the history of important places throughout the City of Dillon. The Historic Dillon tour banners will guide residents and visitors along Main Street and connect them to the photographs and stories that tell the broader story of our community. The grant will also give our Uniform Sign Program a fresh new look and continue making our local businesses easier to identify. Partnerships like this allow small cities to turn good ideas into visible progress, and we are thankful for the opportunity to work alongside Duke Energy as we continue strengthening our downtown."
Duke Energy Foundation
Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
Media Contact: Catherine Ramirez
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
A 5% Treasury yield raises the bar for every dividend stock in a retirement portfolio, and not every high-yielder clears it. These five names span telecom, real estate, consumer staples, utilities, and pharma, and safety comes before yield in every…
When the 10-year Treasury yields 5.22%, a dividend stock has to offer more than a big number. These five names cover telecom, net-lease real estate, consumer staples, regulated utilities and pharma. Each one supports its payout with cash flow, a balance sheet that can carry it, and a dividend record that matches the actual payment history. Every section starts with safety, and yield comes second.
Verizon: Ultra-High Yield Backed by Rising Free Cash Flow Verizon (NYSE:VZ | VZ Price Prediction) pays an annualized forward dividend of $2.83 per share. At $41.65, that works out to a forward yield of about 6.79%, so Verizon is the only true ultra-high-yield stock on this list.
Dividend safety: Free cash flow covers the dividend with room to spare. Second-quarter free cash flow came in at $6.43B, up 27.1%, and full-year guidance calls for $21.94B to $22.14B. At the forward rate, the dividend costs about $11.76B a year. The forward dividend equals roughly 56.7% of the low end of the raised adjusted EPS guidance of $4.99 to $5.04. Leverage is significant: total unsecured debt is $136.5B. Still, net unsecured debt stands at 2.5x adjusted EBITDA, and management is also targeting up to $4.5B in buybacks. The quarterly payout has gone from $0.6275 in 2021 to $0.7075, with an increase in every year of that period. The record also shows quarterly payments without a break since 1999.
Bull case: The business is improving. Service revenue grew 3.5% and adjusted EBITDA rose 7.2% to $13.72B. The EBITDA margin expanded to 40.1% from 37.1%. Verizon added 184,000 postpaid phone customers, and fiber broadband connections jumped 43.3% to 10.9M. Even so, the stock fell 8.75% in a single session when fears about Starlink competition hit wireless carriers. It now trades at about 9 times forward earnings and well below its 52-week high of $50.88. The average analyst target is $51.12.
Risk: Wireless equipment revenue fell nearly 20% and average revenue per account dropped 1.4%. If satellite competition starts to pressure pricing, the large debt load leaves less room for mistakes.
Realty Income: Monthly Payer Trading Near Its 52-Week Low Realty Income (NYSE:O) pays monthly. The latest payment was $0.2715, and the annualized forward rate of $3.258 gives a forward yield of about 6.01% at $54.17. That puts this high-yield REIT right at the ultra-high-yield line.
Dividend safety: For a REIT, adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) is the number that matters. It is the cash earnings left after recurring property costs. The forward dividend uses about 73.4% of the low end of raised 2026 AFFO guidance of $4.44 to $4.45 per share. The free cash flow yield of 7.54% stands above the dividend yield. Fitch rates the company ‘A’ with a Stable Outlook. Realty Income has posted its 115th consecutive quarterly dividend increase and had declared 670 consecutive monthly dividends as of its Q1 2026 filing. The dividend record shows monthly payments going back to 1999.
Bull case: The portfolio is 98.8% occupied, and leases that came up for renewal were re-signed at 102.7% of prior rent. In the second quarter, Realty Income committed about $2.6B at a 7.3% initial cash yield and raised full-year investment guidance to $10.0B. It also announced a $6B hyperscale data center joint venture. Revenue grew 9.7% to $1.55B, and AFFO per share rose 3.8% to $1.09. The stock trades near its 52-week low of $53.15, while the average analyst target is $66.39.
Risk: Net debt rose to 5.4x pro forma adjusted EBITDAre from 5.2x. Non-investment-grade tenants account for 65.7% of base rent. With Treasuries above 5%, funding new deals costs more and the shares face pressure from interest rates.
PepsiCo: Dividend Growth Meets a U.S. Snack Slowdown PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) pays $1.48 per quarter, up from $1.4225 a year earlier. The forward rate of $5.92 yields about 4.70% at $125.97.
Dividend safety: The forward dividend takes about 74.5% of trailing EPS of $7.95. That is solid for a staples company, though not generous. PepsiCo plans to return $8.9B to shareholders in 2026, made up of $7.9B in dividends and $1.0B in buybacks. Interest coverage of 12.03 means debt service is not a concern. The record shows quarterly payouts rising from $0.13 in 1999 to $1.48, with no gaps in the quarterly entries.
Bull case: International growth is driving results. Third-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.34 beat the $2.30 estimate, the 4th straight beat. Revenue of $25.27B rose 5.6% and exceeded expectations. EMEA and Asia Pacific each grew 9%, and LatAm Foods grew 14%. The shares rallied even though the company cut its profit guidance, which suggests investors had already priced in a lot of bad news. At about 15 times forward earnings, the stock stands near its 52-week low of $123.47, far from its $166.41 high.
Risk: PepsiCo cut its 2026 core EPS growth outlook to 2.5% to 3.5% from 5% to 7%. Core operating profit in North American snacks fell 12%. The 4.47% free cash flow yield stands just below the forward dividend yield, so the dividend uses up almost all free cash flow. Future increases will depend on fixing the U.S. snack business.
Duke Energy: Regulated Payouts Fueled by Data Center Demand Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) raised its quarterly dividend to $1.085 from $1.065. The forward rate of $4.34 yields about 3.72% at $116.67.
Dividend safety: State regulators approve the rates Duke charges, which makes its earnings unusually predictable. The dividend uses about 66.3% of the low end of confirmed 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $6.55 to $6.80. That fits within the normal payout range for a utility and leaves room for growth. Management is aiming long-term EPS growth of 5% to 7% through 2030. Duke has raised its quarterly dividend in each year from 2021 through 2026, and the record goes back to a $0.275 payment in 2001. Because utilities spend so heavily on new infrastructure, earnings growth and rate-base growth do more to cover the dividend than free cash flow does.
Bull case: Electricity demand is growing. Duke has secured 7.6 GW of economic development projects under signed service agreements, and its customer count grew 1.4% to about 8.73M. Second-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.43 beat the $1.31 estimate, the company’s 5th straight beat. The stock trades at about 16 times forward earnings with a beta of 0.345, and the average analyst target is $135.67.
Risk: A bigger asset base brings higher depreciation and interest costs. Coal ash cleanup and storm costs keep coming up; the company has run restoration work after Hurricane Isaias. If data center demand falls short, or customers push back on rising bills, the top half of that growth target could slip out of reach.
AbbVie: Lowest Yield, Strongest Coverage AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) pays $1.73 per quarter, up from $1.64 a year earlier. The forward rate of $6.92 yields about 2.50% at $276.45. That is the lowest yield on this list, and AbbVie earns its spot through dividend growth.
Dividend safety: AbbVie has the most coverage of the five. The forward dividend uses about 49.9% of the low end of 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $13.87 to $14.07. The free cash flow yield of 3.65% is well above the dividend yield. Net debt stands at 2.26 times EBITDA, and management is committed to a net leverage ratio of two times within two to three years after its pending acquisition closes. The trailing GAAP P/E looks extreme, but that figure is distorted by accounting charges. On forward earnings, the multiple is about 16. The quarterly dividend has risen from $0.40 in the first 2013 records to $1.73, with an increase in every calendar year from 2014 through 2026.
Bull case: AbbVie has already replaced most of what it lost from Humira. Second-quarter revenue rose 10.2% to $16.99B. Skyrizi brought in $5.51B (up 24.4%), Rinvoq brought in $2.53B (up 24.5%), and neuroscience grew 20.3%. Management raised its full-year Skyrizi forecast to $21.7 billion. CFO Scott Reents told analysts the company has “substantial financial flexibility to pursue additional innovative business development.”
Risk: Humira sales fell 35.9% to $756M, and Imbruvica fell 29.4%. The pending $10.9B acquisition will dilute 2026 EPS by $0.14 and adds new debt. The stock also stands close to its 52-week high of $277.60, so the valuation leaves less margin for error than the other four names.
Durable Income Across Five Sectors This group covers yields from about 2.50% to 6.79%, and every payout is supported by earnings, AFFO or free cash flow with more than enough room left over. Verizon and Realty Income bring the income, Duke Energy brings regulated stability, PepsiCo brings global staples scale, and AbbVie brings the fastest dividend growth. Selloffs in Verizon, Realty Income and PepsiCo have pushed their yields up while their dividends stayed intact. With Treasuries paying above 5%, the items to watch are satellite competition at Verizon, funding costs at Realty Income, the U.S. snack turnaround at PepsiCo, data center demand at Duke Energy and the pending acquisition at AbbVie.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Enel Chile (NYSE:ENIC – Get Free Report) and Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK – Get Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, dividends, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation and institutional ownership.
Volatility & Risk Enel Chile has a beta of 1.02, indicating that its share price is 2% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Duke Energy has a beta of 0.36, indicating that its share price is 64% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Valuation & Earnings This table compares Enel Chile and Duke Energy”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Enel Chile $4.66 billion 1.32 $537.63 million $0.42 10.63 Duke Energy $32.24 billion 2.82 $4.97 billion $6.66 17.51 Duke Energy has higher revenue and earnings than Enel Chile. Enel Chile is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Duke Energy, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Insider & Institutional Ownership 3.2% of Enel Chile shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 65.3% of Duke Energy shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.1% of Duke Energy shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Enel Chile and Duke Energy, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Enel Chile 0 4 1 1 2.50 Duke Energy 0 8 10 0 2.56 Enel Chile currently has a consensus price target of $4.65, suggesting a potential upside of 4.14%. Duke Energy has a consensus price target of $136.12, suggesting a potential upside of 16.73%. Given Duke Energy’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Duke Energy is more favorable than Enel Chile.
Profitability This table compares Enel Chile and Duke Energy’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Enel Chile 12.30% 10.20% 4.50% Duke Energy 15.78% 9.78% 2.67% Dividends Enel Chile pays an annual dividend of $0.26 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.8%. Duke Energy pays an annual dividend of $4.34 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.7%. Enel Chile pays out 61.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Duke Energy pays out 65.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Duke Energy has increased its dividend for 20 consecutive years. Enel Chile is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.
Summary Duke Energy beats Enel Chile on 12 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Enel Chile (Get Free Report)
Enel Chile S.A., an electricity utility company, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in Chile. The company operates through Generation, and Distribution and Networks Segments. It generates electricity through various sources, such as hydroelectric, thermal, wind, solar, and geothermal power plants. It distributes electricity in various municipalities of the Santiago metropolitan region. The company also engages in the sale and transportation of natural gas, and provision of engineering consulting services. It serves residential, commercial, industrial, and other customers. The company was formerly known as Enersis Chile S.A. and changed its name to Enel Chile S.A. in October 2016. The company was incorporated in 2016 and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile. Enel Chile S.A. (SNSE:ENELCHILE) operates as a subsidiary of Enel SpA (BIT:ENEL).
About Duke Energy (Get Free Report)
Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through two segments: Electric Utilities and Infrastructure (EU&I), and Gas Utilities and Infrastructure (GU&I). The EU&I segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest. It generates electricity through coal, hydroelectric, natural gas, oil, solar and wind sources, renewables, and nuclear fuel. This segment also engages in the wholesale of electricity to municipalities, electric cooperative utilities, and load-serving entities. The GU&I segment distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and power generation natural gas customers; and invests in pipeline transmission projects, renewable natural gas projects, and natural gas storage facilities. The company was formerly known as Duke Energy Holding Corp. and changed its name to Duke Energy Corporation in April 2006. Duke Energy Corporation was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Duke Energy Florida wrapping up power restoration following Hurricane Isaias; strategic grid improvements delivered customer benefitsPR Newswire
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 10, 2026
, /PRNewswire/ -- Hurricane Isaias cleared Florida this morning. Crews have already restored approximately 10,000, leaving about 2,200 customers without power across North Florida. The company anticipates wrapping up restoration this afternoon. Customers can visit Duke Energy's outage map and receive outage alerts for real time updates on their individual estimated time of restoration.
"The strategic investments we've made in a stronger, smarter grid are delivering clear benefits for customers—reducing outages, limiting their duration and helping us restore power faster when severe weather strikes," said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director. "We know our customers depend on the essential service we provide – safe, reliable power – to plan their lives and get back on their feet after storms like this one. We appreciate everyone's patience as we wrap up our power restoration today."
Yesterday, Duke Energy Florida deployed resources from across the state to support power restoration in the impacted area. A favorable storm path allowed our crews to work around-the-clock to assess the damage, make repairs and get the lights back on for customers.
Duke Energy Florida focuses on restoring power for customers as safely and quickly as possible after storms. While many activities occur simultaneously, the typical sequence is as follows:
Locating and de-energizing downed power lines that pose a risk to the public.Addressing issues with transmission infrastructure, substation equipment and main distribution lines that serve large numbers of customers and large geographic areas – and must be restored first to keep electricity flowing. Restoring emergency services and critical infrastructure such as hospitals, law enforcement, fire departments and water treatment facilities.Repairing distribution lines that serve neighborhoods and individual homes and businesses.As always, Duke Energy Florida's top priority is safety. Customers are asked to consider the following when they see crews working in their neighborhoods:
Consider all power lines energized, as well as trees or limbs in contact with lines, and stay away from lines that have fallen or are sagging. Call Duke Energy at 800.228.8485 or contact your local emergency services department or agency to report all power line hazards.Do not drive over or stand near downed power lines. Downed lines will be hard to see in the rain and may be hidden in standing water. If you encounter large pools of standing water, stop, back up and choose another path, as electric current passes easily through water.A generator can be very useful during a power outage, but remember to always follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure proper operation.Please turn your generator off when crews are in your area. The electrical load on the power lines can be hazardous as they make repairs.For more information, please visit Duke Energy's Storm Center.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
Contact: Aly Raschid
24-Hour: 800.559.3853X: @DE_AlyRaschid
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duke-energy-florida-wrapping-up-power-restoration-following-hurricane-isaias-strategic-grid-improvements-delivered-customer-benefits-302905049.html
, /PRNewswire/ -- Hurricane Isaias cleared Florida this morning. Crews have already restored approximately 10,000, leaving about 2,200 customers without power across North Florida. The company anticipates wrapping up restoration this afternoon. Customers can visit Duke Energy's outage map and receive outage alerts for real time updates on their individual estimated time of restoration.
"The strategic investments we've made in a stronger, smarter grid are delivering clear benefits for customers—reducing outages, limiting their duration and helping us restore power faster when severe weather strikes," said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director. "We know our customers depend on the essential service we provide – safe, reliable power – to plan their lives and get back on their feet after storms like this one. We appreciate everyone's patience as we wrap up our power restoration today."
Yesterday, Duke Energy Florida deployed resources from across the state to support power restoration in the impacted area. A favorable storm path allowed our crews to work around-the-clock to assess the damage, make repairs and get the lights back on for customers.
Duke Energy Florida focuses on restoring power for customers as safely and quickly as possible after storms. While many activities occur simultaneously, the typical sequence is as follows:
Locating and de-energizing downed power lines that pose a risk to the public. Addressing issues with transmission infrastructure, substation equipment and main distribution lines that serve large numbers of customers and large geographic areas – and must be restored first to keep electricity flowing. Restoring emergency services and critical infrastructure such as hospitals, law enforcement, fire departments and water treatment facilities. Repairing distribution lines that serve neighborhoods and individual homes and businesses. As always, Duke Energy Florida's top priority is safety. Customers are asked to consider the following when they see crews working in their neighborhoods:
Consider all power lines energized, as well as trees or limbs in contact with lines, and stay away from lines that have fallen or are sagging. Call Duke Energy at 800.228.8485 or contact your local emergency services department or agency to report all power line hazards. Do not drive over or stand near downed power lines. Downed lines will be hard to see in the rain and may be hidden in standing water. If you encounter large pools of standing water, stop, back up and choose another path, as electric current passes easily through water. A generator can be very useful during a power outage, but remember to always follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure proper operation. Please turn your generator off when crews are in your area. The electrical load on the power lines can be hazardous as they make repairs. For more information, please visit Duke Energy's Storm Center.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
Contact: Aly Raschid
24-Hour: 800.559.3853X: @DE_AlyRaschid
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy is preparing to respond to potential damage and power outages in the Carolinas caused by the remnants of Hurricane Isaias.
Potential for power outages due to strong winds and heavy rain
Crews will begin power restoration as soon as conditions are safe to do so , /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Florida is ready to respond as Hurricane Isaias threatens power outages across our service territory. Customers should prepare now, follow emergency management warnings and remain vigilant throughout the storm.
"As Hurricane Isaias approaches, Duke Energy meteorologists are closely tracking the storm. Our crews are prepared to restore power as soon as conditions allow," said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director. "The safety of our customers, communities and employees remains our top priority."
Restoring power after a storm can be challenging for repair crews, as travel and work conditions can be impacted by strong winds and potential flooding – making repair work lengthy and difficult in some areas.
Customers are advised to practice the safety protocols below:
Do not walk, swim or drive through floodwaters.
If rising water threatens your home or business – or if you evacuate due to flooding – turn off your power at the circuit breaker panel or fuse box.
Never replace a fuse or touch a circuit breaker with wet hands or while standing on a wet or damp surface.
If your home or business is flooded, Duke Energy cannot reconnect power until the electrical system has been inspected by a licensed electrician. If there is damage, an electrician will need to make necessary repairs and obtain verification from your local building inspection authority before power can be restored.
Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all lines energized as well as trees or limbs in contact with lines. Report all power line hazards to Duke Energy at 800.228.8485 or contact your local emergency services department or agency.
If a power line falls across a car that you're in, stay in the car. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground.
Electric current passes easily through water, so stay away from downed power lines and electrical wires. Don't drive over – and don't stand near – downed power lines. Downed lines will be hard to see in the rain and can potentially be hidden in standing water. If you encounter large pools of standing water, stop, back up and choose another path. Customers should also implement the following safety measures if they experience a power outage:
A generator can be very useful during a power outage but remember to always follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure safe and proper operation. Please watch for utility crews and turn the generator off when crews are in your area. The electrical load on the power lines can be hazardous for crews making repairs.
Disconnect or turn off any nonessential electrical equipment that may start automatically when power is restored to avoid overloading circuits.
Do not open freezers or refrigerators more than necessary. Opening these appliances will allow food to thaw quicker. For more information, see the FDA's food safety guidelines.
Do not use grills or other outdoor appliances or equipment indoors for space heating or cooking, as these devices may emit carbon monoxide.
If you lose power, text OUT to 57801, report online or through the mobile app, or call 800.228.8485. Customers can receive the most up-to-date information about restoration efforts by:
Signing up online for phone & email alerts or text REG to 57801 for text alerts
Bookmarking our outage map
Downloading the mobile app for updates Additionally, customers are encouraged to download the enhanced American Red Cross Emergency app for weather safety. The latest version of the app, sponsored by the Duke Energy Foundation, is free, is available in both English and Spanish and offers a variety of features including emergency checklists, interactive maps of open shelters and the ability to monitor multiple locations for weather alerts.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
Contact: Ana Gibbs
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_AnaGibbs
Agreement with North Carolina Public Staff, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and others enhances existing protections to further insulate customers from data center costs while delivering billions in long-term benefits , /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy and stakeholders have reached an agreement that further protects existing customers from costs to serve data centers and other large-load customers in North Carolina.
Duke Energy proactively implemented substantial customer protections in 2024 to ensure that large-load customers pay the costs to serve them. The agreement memorializes and enhances those protections.
These changes are reflected in a new settlement between the company's two North Carolina utilities – Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress – and North Carolina Public Staff, the agency representing utility customers. Other parties to the agreement include Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Carolina Industrial Group for Fair Utility Rates and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Our view: "It's simple – data centers will pay upfront for all costs to connect to the grid," said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy's North Carolina president. "We're shielding other customers from these costs in a way that protects reliability and ensures everyone benefits from the economic growth coming to North Carolina."
Agreement summary:
Nonrefundable, upfront payment for electric grid facilities serving only that customer, such as a substation to connect to the grid. Upfront deposits and security guarantees for grid upgrades that serve all customers, such as transmission lines. New large-load customers, including new data centers, must take service under a High Load Factor rate schedule – a separate rate established for large loads. Why it matters: Duke Energy had previously required data centers and other large loads (100 megawatts or more) to agree to contract terms that protect other customers from such costs. If approved by state regulators, this new agreement would apply to all large-load customers (50 megawatts or more with 80% load factor) that sign an electric service agreement (ESA) in North Carolina after June 1, 2026. ESAs signed prior to June 1 contain a full suite of similar customer protections.
In July, Duke Energy announced its Customer Protection Plus framework, outlining how data center growth will result in billions of dollars of future customer benefits, saving money for existing customers. This agreement adds to that framework in a way that specifically addresses issues raised by North Carolina regulators and customers. Learn more about Duke Energy's approach to data centers at duke-energy.com/DataCenters.
What's next: The agreement is subject to approval by the North Carolina Utilities Commission – a decision is expected by mid-November.
Duke Energy Carolinas serves about 2.3 million households and businesses in central and western North Carolina, including Charlotte, Durham and the Triad, while Duke Energy Progress serves about 1.6 million customers in central and eastern North Carolina and in the Asheville region. The two will be combined into a single utility as of Jan. 1, 2027.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
Duke Energy (DUK - Free Report) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.
Over the past month, shares of this electric utility have returned -4.6%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.4% change. During this period, the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry, which Duke Energy falls in, has lost 4.2%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?
While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.
Earnings Estimate RevisionsRather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company's earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.
Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements.
Duke Energy is expected to post earnings of $1.85 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +2.2%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -2.1%.
For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $6.72 points to a change of +6.5% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has remained unchanged.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $7.16 indicates a change of +6.5% from what Duke Energy is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has remained unchanged.
With an impressive externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- is a more conclusive indicator of a stock's near-term price performance, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for Duke Energy.
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Revenue Growth ForecastWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.
In the case of Duke Energy, the consensus sales estimate of $8.86 billion for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of +3.7%. The $33.79 billion and $35.59 billion estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of +4.8% and +5.3%, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryDuke Energy reported revenues of $7.59 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +1.1%. EPS of $1.43 for the same period compares with $1.25 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.71 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of -1.59%. The EPS surprise was +10.85%.
Over the last four quarters, Duke Energy surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates three times over this period.
ValuationNo investment decision can be efficient without considering a stock's valuation. Whether a stock's current price rightly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects is an essential determinant of its future price performance.
Comparing the current value of a company's valuation multiples, such as its price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), to its own historical values helps ascertain whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, whereas comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of how reasonable its stock price is.
As part of the Zacks Style Scores system, the Zacks Value Style Score (which evaluates both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics) organizes stocks into five groups ranging from A to F (A is better than B; B is better than C; and so on), making it helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
Duke Energy is graded C on this front, indicating that it is trading at par with its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
ConclusionThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Duke Energy. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
In the latest close session, Duke Energy (DUK - Free Report) was up +1.6% at $115.66. The stock outperformed the S&P 500, which registered a daily gain of 0.58%. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 0.49%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, added 0.45%.
Coming into today, shares of the electric utility had lost 5.31% in the past month. In that same time, the Utilities sector lost 5.94%, while the S&P 500 gained 0.84%.
The upcoming earnings release of Duke Energy will be of great interest to investors. On that day, Duke Energy is projected to report earnings of $1.85 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 2.21%. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $8.86 billion, up 3.74% from the prior-year quarter.
Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of $6.72 per share and revenue of $33.79 billion, indicating changes of +6.5% and +4.81%, respectively, compared to the previous year.
Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Duke Energy should also be noted by investors. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the business and profitability.
Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, there's been a 0.01% fall in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Duke Energy is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.
Digging into valuation, Duke Energy currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 16.94. This indicates a premium in contrast to its industry's Forward P/E of 16.68.
One should further note that DUK currently holds a PEG ratio of 2.66. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. As of the close of trade yesterday, the Utility - Electric Power industry held an average PEG ratio of 2.46.
The Utility - Electric Power industry is part of the Utilities sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 112, putting it in the top 46% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Don't forget to use Zacks.com to keep track of all these stock-moving metrics, and others, in the upcoming trading sessions.
Have you been searching for a stock that might be well-positioned to maintain its earnings-beat streak in its upcoming report? It is worth considering Duke Energy (DUK - Free Report) , which belongs to the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry.
This electric utility has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The average surprise for the last two quarters was 9.34%.
For the most recent quarter, Duke Energy was expected to post earnings of $1.29 per share, but it reported $1.43 per share instead, representing a surprise of 10.85%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $1.79 per share, while it actually produced $1.93 per share, a surprise of 7.82%.
Price and EPS Surprise
Thanks in part to this history, there has been a favorable change in earnings estimates for Duke Energy lately. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the stock is positive, which is a great indicator of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with its solid Zacks Rank.
Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Duke Energy currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.54%, which suggests that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This positive Earnings ESP when combined with the stock's Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) indicates that another beat is possibly around the corner.
When the Earnings ESP comes up negative, investors should note that this will reduce the predictive power of the metric. But, a negative value is not indicative of a stock's earnings miss.
Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, but that may not be the sole basis for their stocks moving higher. On the other hand, some stocks may hold their ground even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.
Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy will post its third-quarter 2026 financial results at 7 a.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 5, on the company's website at duke-energy.com/investors.
An earnings conference call for analysts is scheduled at 10 a.m. ET that day to discuss the third-quarter 2026 results and other business and financial updates.
The conference call will be hosted by Harry Sideris, president and chief executive officer, and Brian Savoy, executive vice president and chief financial officer.
The call can be accessed via the investors' section (duke-energy.com/investors) of Duke Energy's website or by dialing 833.461.5787 in the U.S. or 585.542.9983 outside the U.S. The confirmation code is 463805206. Please call in 10 to 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.
A recording of the webcast will be available on the investors' section of the company's website on Nov. 6.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
Media Contact: Gillian Moore
24-hour: 800.559.3853
Analyst Contact: Mike Switzer
Office: 704.382.6473
Quarterly financial reports play a vital role on Wall Street, as they help investors see how a company has performed and what might be coming down the road in the near-term. And out of all of the metrics and results to consider, earnings is one of the most important.
We know earnings results are vital, but how a company performs compared to bottom line expectations can be even more important when it comes to stock prices, especially in the near-term. This means that investors might want to take advantage of these earnings surprises.
Hunting for 'earnings whispers' or companies poised to beat their quarterly earnings estimates is a somewhat common practice. But that doesn't make it easy. One way that has been proven to work is by using the Zacks Earnings ESP tool.
The Zacks Earnings ESP, ExplainedThe Zacks Expected Surprise Prediction, or ESP, works by locking in on the most up-to-date analyst earnings revisions because they can be more accurate than estimates from weeks or even months before the actual release date. The thinking is pretty straightforward: analysts who provide earnings estimates closer to the report are likely to have more information.
Now that we understand the basic idea, let's look at how the Expected Surprise Prediction works. The ESP is calculated by comparing the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, with the percentage difference between the two giving us the Zacks ESP figure.
When we join a positive earnings ESP with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or stronger, stocks posted a positive bottom-line surprise 70% of the time. Plus, this system saw investors produce roughly 28% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.
Most stocks, about 60%, fall into the #3 (Hold) category, and they are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with a #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) rating, or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market, with Strong Buy stocks outperforming more than any other rank.
Should You Consider Entergy?Now that we understand what the ESP is and how beneficial it can be, let's dive into a stock that currently fits the bill. Entergy (ETR - Free Report) earns a #2 (Buy) right now and its Most Accurate Estimate sits at $1.66 a share, just 30 days from its upcoming earnings release on November 4, 2026.
ETR has an Earnings ESP figure of +1.73%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $1.66 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.64. Entergy is one of a large database of stocks with positive ESPs. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
ETR is just one of a large group of Utilities stocks with a positive ESP figure. Duke Energy (DUK - Free Report) is another qualifying stock you may want to consider.
Duke Energy is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on November 5, 2026. DUK's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $1.86 a share 31 days from its next earnings release.
Duke Energy's Earnings ESP figure currently stands at +0.54% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.85.
ETR and DUK's positive ESP figures tell us that both stocks have a good chance at beating analyst expectations in their next earnings report.
Find Stocks to Buy or Sell Before They're ReportedUse the Zacks Earnings ESP Filter to turn up stocks with the highest probability of positively, or negatively, surprising to buy or sell before they're reported for profitable earnings season trading. Check it out here >>
, /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) today declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of $1.085 per share. This dividend is payable on Dec. 16, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Nov. 13, 2026.
The company also declared a quarterly cash dividend on its Series A preferred stock of $359.375 per share payable on Dec. 16, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Nov. 13, 2026. This is equivalent to $0.359375 per depositary share.
Duke Energy has paid a cash dividend on its common stock for 100 consecutive years.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
Media Contact: Gillian Moore
24-hour: 800.559.3853
Analyst Contact: Mike Switzer
Office: 704.382.6473
, /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty-seven organizations that are strengthening the workforce, supporting business growth and fostering economic development in Florida just received a collective $326,500 from Duke Energy and the Duke Energy Foundation. From nonprofits to government entities, these grant recipients will use the funds to promote careers in emerging industries, attract high-potential companies and/or make it easier to do business in the state.
Our view
"Every day, more and more people are making beautiful, sunny Florida their home," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "By supporting strategic research, planning and investment, we're helping ensure the state's economy keeps up with this rapid growth and that it remains competitive both nationally and globally. Ultimately, our goal is to allow Floridians to continue pursuing promising opportunities, provide for themselves and their families and prosper now and into the future."
High-impact investments
Examples of how the grants will be used include:
Updating Wakulla County's 2022 Economic Development Strategic Plan to address workforce needs stemming from new businesses in the area while also exploring ag-tech and aquaculture opportunities. Deploying an interactive online tool to share Orlando's new capability-led approach to economic development – focused on the city's specific strengths rather than traditional industry categories – with potential investors. Conducting an economic impact analysis to quantify the value of entrepreneurship and business retention, expansion and attraction efforts in Pasco County, providing data-driven insights to support future decision-making. Positive response
"Being from a small rural community, I know how important it is to have partners who see our potential and are willing to invest in our future," said Chelsea Morgan, North Florida Economic Development Partnership Foundation Board of Directors Lafayette County liaison. "Working with Duke Energy on this project means a lot to me because it gives Lafayette County resources, exposure and opportunities that can help us grow while still keeping the things that make our community special. I'm grateful for the relationship we've built and for Duke Energy's continued commitment to supporting rural communities like ours." "Strong partnerships help build strong communities," said Andria Herr, Seminole County Board of County Commissioners chair. "Duke Energy's support will help more entrepreneurs and small businesses discover the resources available to grow, create jobs and contribute to Seminole County's economy." "Duke Energy's investment will help Clearwater attract businesses, generate quality jobs, expand our economic base and strengthen our community's long-term economic competitiveness," said Christopher Edwards, City of Clearwater director of economic development and housing. "This partnership allows us to proactively position Clearwater for an urban renaissance of private investment." All grant recipients
Statewide ($35,000)
Florida Economic Development Council Research & Education Foundation ($20,000) FloridaMakes ($15,000) North Florida ($104,000)
City of Jasper ($10,000) Florida's Great Northwest ($10,000) Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners ($10,000) Lafayette County Board of County Commissioners ($10,000) Levy County Board of County Commissioners ($10,000) North Florida Economic Development Partnership Foundation ($15,000) Suwannee County Economic Development Office ($25,000) Taylor County Development Authority ($7,000) Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners ($7,000) Central Florida ($67,500)
City of DeBary ($10,000) Daytona Beach Community Foundation ($12,500) Foundation for Orlando's Future ($15,000) Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership Foundation ($10,000) Seminole County Board of County Commissioners ($5,000) Sumter County Economic Development ($15,000) Greater Tampa Bay Area ($120,000)
Citrus County Economic Development ($10,000) City of Clearwater ($16,000) City of Haines City ($15,000) City of Treasure Island ($5,000) City of Winter Haven ($9,000) Greater St. Petersburg Area Economic Development Corporation Foundation ($20,000) Hernando County Office of Economic Development ($10,000) Highlands County Board of County Commissioners ($15,000) Lake Wales Area Foundation ($10,000) Pasco Economic Development Council ($10,000) Duke Energy Foundation
The Duke Energy Foundation provides nearly $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
, /PRNewswire/ -- The Duke Energy Foundation is awarding $100,000 to three nonprofit organizations expanding leadership development, career readiness and entrepreneurship opportunities in Central Florida and the Tampa Bay area.
Our view:
"When people are empowered to learn, grow and pursue their goals, it opens doors for them and many others," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "We're proud to help create pathways to success and give all Floridians the opportunity to reach their full potential while also strengthening the communities we serve and call home."
High-impact investments:
The Hispanic Heritage Network of Orange County will leverage a $25,000 grant to support year-round programming that expands leadership development, career readiness and community engagement opportunities throughout Orange County. Funding will help advance initiatives that recognize youth achievement, celebrate arts and culture and equip community leaders with tools to better serve their communities, including during emergencies and severe weather events.
A $25,000 grant will allow the Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund of Metro Orlando to expand its Next Gen Workforce Leadership Academy, a program that helps Central Florida college students build the skills, professional networks and confidence needed for career success. Through mentorship, leadership development, financial literacy and hands-on exposure to employers and community organizations, participants gain valuable real-world experience as they prepare to enter the workforce.
With a $50,000 grant, Prospera Initiatives will provide small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs with access to educational programs, technical assistance and financial tools that support long-term success. The funding will help these individuals overcome barriers to business growth, strengthen local economies and create new pathways to economic mobility across Florida, with a focus on the Greater Orlando and Tampa Bay areas. Positive response:
"When organizations, families, community leaders and champions like the Duke Energy Foundation unite behind our young people, we create greater opportunities, inspire brighter futures and build a stronger community for generations to come," said Yetzenia I. Negron, Hispanic Heritage Network of Orange County president. "We are deeply grateful for Duke Energy's continued belief in our mission and their unwavering investment in the next generation."
"The Duke Energy Foundation's investment empowers us to expand opportunities, strengthen connections between education and career pathways and prepare the next generation of leaders to make a lasting impact," said Carolin Requiz Smith, Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund of Metro Orlando executive director. "It is truly an honor to partner with Duke Energy, and we are proud to share in their commitment to building stronger communities and a more skilled, empowered and prepared workforce."
"The Duke Energy Foundation's generous investment helps entrepreneurs access the guidance and resources they need to strengthen their businesses and create greater economic opportunities for their families and employees," said Augusto Sanabria, Prospera Initiatives president and CEO. "Together, Duke Energy and Prospera are helping individuals leverage entrepreneurship as a pathway to greater economic mobility and financial independence, contributing to the prosperity of our communities." Duke Energy Foundation
The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
Contact: Aly Raschid
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
X: @DE_AlyRaschid
, /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy's board of directors today announced the appointment of Joyce Mullen as a new board member, effective Sept. 28. Mullen will serve on the Audit Committee and the Operations and Nuclear Oversight Committee.
Mullen retired as president and CEO of Insight Enterprises in April 2026. She continues to advise its leadership as executive vice president of strategic development.
"As we serve our customers across a vibrant operating territory that is growing every day, Joyce's experience as a transformative leader will help us further accelerate how we shape the future of energy," said Harry Sideris, president and chief executive officer of Duke Energy. "We look forward to working with Joyce as we continue to advance Duke Energy's strategy and position the company to thrive amid unprecedented growth, technological innovation and transformation across the industry."
During Mullen's tenure as CEO, Insight Enterprises set its ambition to help organizations maximize the business value of technology and accelerate digital evolution by becoming the industry's leading AI-first solutions integrator – combining the right hardware, software and services.
"Joyce is a proven leader during periods of rapid change and volatility, and her perspective will be incredibly valuable as Duke Energy navigates a pivotal time for both the company and the broader industry," said Ted Craver, independent chair of the Duke Energy Board of Directors. "Her experience at the intersection of AI, digital innovation and customer-focused execution will strengthen the board's diverse perspectives and help Duke Energy continue delivering long-term value for its customers, employees, communities and shareholders."
Prior to serving as CEO, Mullen served as Insight's president of North America, navigating a global pandemic while driving double-digit sales growth. Prior to joining Insight, Mullen held numerous executive positions during a 21-year tenure at Dell Technologies, leading a broad range of organizations including sales, operations, supply chain, partner strategy, services delivery, and logistics. Prior to Dell, she held various leadership roles at Cummins Engine Company.
Mullen serves on the board of directors of The Toro Company. She earned her MBA from Harvard Business School and bachelor's in international relations from Brown University.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
Media Contact: Madison McDonald
24-Hour: 800.559.3863
Treasury yields just hit levels not seen in two decades, and that quiet shift is forcing income investors to ask a question they haven't had to seriously consider in years: why own dividend stocks at all?
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The bond market is reminding investors that interest rates can move in both directions — and the latest move is creating a problem for stocks bought primarily for their income. Today, the U.S. 30-year Treasury yield reached 5.44%, its highest level since June 2004. The 10-year Treasury yield also climbed to about 5.15%, its highest level since 2007. The move comes as stronger economic data, higher oil prices, and renewed inflation concerns push investors to price in additional Federal Reserve tightening.
For dividend investors, that changes the math. A Treasury now offers a 5.44% nominal yield without the business risk attached to owning a company. That doesn’t make dividend stocks uninvestable, but it raises the bar.
The Bond Market Has Come a Long Way The Federal Reserve’s FRED database shows the 30-year Treasury yield fell to just 0.99% on March 9, 2020. At 5.44% today, the yield has risen 4.45 percentage points, or 445 basis points, from that pandemic-era low.
That is close to the 500-basis-point increase investors have watched develop since the extraordinary monetary-policy environment of 2020.
The latest leg higher has been driven by more than the Fed. CNBC reported that stronger-than-expected September business activity, elevated oil prices, and inflation concerns have pushed markets toward expectations for another rate increase.
Higher Treasury yields matter because they reset the hurdle rate for every other income-producing asset.
Dividend Stocks Have a New Competitor Consider what investors can receive from several familiar dividend stocks:
The numbers show the risk income investors face. Although Realty Income and Verizon still offer yields above the 30-year Treasury, the spread is now only 41 and 57 basis points, respectively. Duke Energy’s dividend yield is already 165 basis points below the Treasury.
That makes income stocks increasingly dependent on dividend growth and potential share-price appreciation to compensate investors for taking on greater equity risk.
REITs and utilities face an additional challenge because their businesses often require substantial capital. Higher interest rates can increase financing costs while simultaneously making their dividends less distinctive compared with government bonds.
Don’t Throw Every Dividend Stock Overboard That said, investors shouldn’t treat a 5.44% Treasury yield as an automatic sell signal for every dividend stock.
A company that can grow earnings and dividends faster than inflation has something a Treasury bond does not: a potentially rising income stream. Verizon’s 6.01% yield, for example, gives shareholders more current income than the 30-year Treasury, while Realty Income’s monthly dividend provides another distinction.
The key is valuation. When Treasury yields were near 1% in 2020, investors had little choice but to accept lower yields elsewhere if they wanted income. Today, the risk-free alternative is much more competitive.
In short, the bond-market selloff does not make dividend stocks bad investments. It makes weak dividend stocks easier to identify.
Key Takeaway The 30-year Treasury’s 5.44% yield is a new hurdle for income investors. With the rate nearly 500 basis points above its 2020 low, dividend stocks now have to justify their equity risk through higher yields, faster dividend growth, stronger earnings, or some combination of the three.
Investors should be especially careful with high-yield stocks whose dividends are only marginally above Treasuries. A 6% yield is less compelling when a government bond offers 5.44% and doesn’t depend on corporate earnings.
Ultimately, this is a market for selectivity. The bond market has brought income back into competition — and dividend stocks now have to earn their place.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Key Takeaways GEV reported $24.2 billion in orders, up 88% organically, led by Power and Electrification.DUK secured 7.8 GW of data center ESAs and plans to add about 15 GW of capacity by 2031.GEV's gas backlog and slot reservations rose to 116 GW, with at least 125 GW expected by year-end. GE Vernova (GEV - Free Report) and Duke Energy (DUK - Free Report) share the same major trend — rising electricity demand and the need for new power-generation and grid infrastructure. However, the two companies hold different positions in the power industry. Duke Energy is primarily a utility that owns and operates power-generation assets and electricity networks, while GE Vernova supplies the turbines, generators, grid equipment and other technologies that utilities use to expand and maintain their systems.
Duke Energy stands to benefit from rising electricity consumption because it serves customers across regulated utility markets. Demand from data centers, manufacturing, population growth and economic development is pushing the company to invest heavily in additional generation and grid infrastructure. This creates a long-term capital-spending opportunity for DUK because new infrastructure allows the utility to increase its capacity to serve growing electricity demand. GE Vernova benefits from the investment Duke and other utilities make to satisfy that demand. Rather than primarily selling electricity, GEV supplies the equipment and technology required to generate and transmit it.
Let us compare the stocks' fundamentals to determine which one is a better investment option at present.
Factors Acting in Favor of GEV StockGE Vernova is a pure-play energy company focused on grid modernization, renewable power and decarbonization technologies. The rapid expansion of data centers and growing adoption of artificial intelligence are driving a significant increase in electricity demand. This structural trend is creating broader growth opportunities for GE Vernova across its gas turbine business, grid solutions and other power infrastructure offerings. GEV reported $24.2 billion in orders, up 88% organically, driven by strong growth in its Power and Electrification businesses. In Gas Power, equipment backlog and slot reservation agreements rose from 100 GW to 116 GW, with the company now expecting this figure to reach at least 125 GW by the end of 2026, highlighting continued strong demand for gas-generation capacity.
In September 2026, GE Vernova announced that it will supply seven 4.2-MW wind turbines, totaling 29.4 MW, for Eurus Energy’s Hiyamizutouge wind farm in Japan, along with a two-year service agreement. The deal adds to GE Vernova’s Onshore Wind orders and service revenues, strengthens its position in Japan’s growing wind market, and supports further opportunities as the country expands renewable-energy capacity.
Factors Acting in Favor of DUK StockDuke Energy continues to convert its economic development pipeline into executed Electric Service Agreements, increasing visibility into future demand and related infrastructure needs. By the end of second-quarter 2026, management had secured 7.8 GW of data center ESAs and continued to advance a 15.4 GW late-stage pipeline, with the remaining projects expected to convert by the first half of 2027. Contracts include minimum-take provisions that support revenue visibility and protect existing customers as new loads ramp up.
In second-quarter 2026, management said the company is deploying more than $1 billion of capital per month as it expands generation and grid infrastructure across its regulated jurisdictions. The generation program is now expected to add about 15 GW of capacity by 2031. Duke has approximately 5 GW of gas generation under construction and another 2.5 GW advancing through development. The company increased the number of gas turbines available under its framework agreement with GE Vernova to 26, with the first turbine delivered to the Person County combined-cycle site in July 2026 and a second expected later in the year.
How Do Zacks Estimates Compare for GEV & DUK?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GE Vernova’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) indicates a year-over-year increase of 72.36%. GEV’s long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 14%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Duke Energy’s 2026 EPS implies a year-over-year improvement of 6.5%. DUK’s long-term earnings growth rate is 6.38%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Valuation for GEV & DUKGEV shares trade at a forward 12-month price/sales (P/S F12M) of 4.97X compared with DUK’s P/S F12M of 2.53X.
GEV & DUK’s Return on Equity (ROE)ROE measures how efficiently a company is utilizing its shareholders’ funds to generate profits. GE Vernova’s current ROE is 42.42% compared with Duke Energy’s 9.78%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
GEV & DUK’s Price PerformanceIn the past six months, shares of GE Vernova have risen 3%, while those of Duke Energy have lost 10.9%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
GEV or DUK: Which Is a Better Choice Now?GE Vernova’s recent orders and wind projects further strengthen its backlog, service business and position in global energy markets, particularly as utilities and governments invest in reliable and cleaner power capacity. Duke Energy is expanding its generation and grid infrastructure to meet growing electricity demand, particularly from data centers, while securing long-term contracts that improve visibility into future demand and revenues.
Our choice at the moment is GE Vernova, given its better earnings growth projection, stronger ROE and better price performance than Duke Energy. Both GEV and DUK carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Key Takeaways Duke Energy trades at 16.23X forward earnings versus NextEra Energy's 18.07X valuation.Duke Energy's 3.73% dividend yield exceeds NextEra Energy's 3.15%, while its debt ratio is slightly lower.Duke Energy plans roughly $103B in investments for 2026-2030, versus NextEra Energy's nearly $94.7B. The Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry offers relatively stable, long-term income prospects, supported by its regulated operating framework. This structure allows utilities to recover eligible costs and earn predictable returns, helping limit earnings volatility. Resilient electricity demand across economic cycles and attractive dividend yields further strengthen the industry’s appeal among income-focused investors. Moreover, given the capital-intensive nature of utility operations, easing interest rates provide an additional tailwind by lowering financing costs for long-term infrastructure investments.
U.S. electricity demand is also increasing, driven by the rapid expansion of AI-powered data centers, reshoring of manufacturing activities and rising consumption across customer classes. Against this backdrop, NextEra Energy (NEE - Free Report) and Duke Energy (DUK - Free Report) merit attention. Both are leading U.S. electric utilities investing substantially in generation and infrastructure, including cleaner energy resources, to meet rising power demand and support the ongoing transition toward a lower-carbon energy mix.
Duke Energy is also steadily advancing its clean-energy transition while maintaining a substantial regulated utility presence. The company is investing in grid modernization, renewable generation and cleaner technologies as it works toward the long-term carbon-reduction goals. Its strategy includes expanding renewable capacity and gradually reducing reliance on coal-fired generation. These investments, combined with its regulated operations, support earnings stability while creating opportunities for sustainable growth.
NextEra Energy has built a strong position in the utility sector through its focus on renewable energy and long-term sustainable growth. The company continues to deploy significant capital toward wind, solar, battery storage and grid modernization. Through Florida Power & Light and NextEra Energy Resources, it operates a large and diversified clean-energy portfolio. Strong financial performance, continued innovation and expanding renewable investments support a balanced combination of regulated stability and long-term growth opportunities.
NextEra Energy and Duke Energy are two prominent utility companies pursuing cleaner generation and infrastructure modernization. Comparing their financial strength, growth prospects, valuation and operating performance can provide greater insight into their respective investment profiles.
DUK & NEE’s Earnings Growth ProjectionsThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Duke Energy’s earnings per share for 2026 and 2027 has remained unchanged over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The same for NextEra Energy’s earnings per share for 2026 has declined 0.25% and for 2027 has remained unchanged over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
NEE Trading a Premium ValuationNextEra Energy currently appears to be trading at a premium compared with Duke Energy on a Price/Earnings Forward 12-month basis. (P/E- F12M).
NEE is currently trading at 18.07X, while DUK is trading at 16.23X compared with their industry’s 13.77X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Return on Invested CapitalReturn on Invested Capital (“ROIC”) measures how efficiently a company uses invested capital to generate profits. A higher ROIC generally indicates stronger capital allocation, competitive advantages and greater potential for long-term value creation.
NEE’s current ROIC is 3.33%, a tad higher compared with DUK’s 3.07%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Long-Term Capital InvestmentUtility operations require significant capital spending on clean power generation and the expansion of transmission and distribution networks. Planned long-term capital expenditure is also needed to modernize aging infrastructure, enhance grid capacity and ensure reliable service, enabling utilities to meet growing electricity demand and advance the transition toward cleaner energy.
Duke Energy expects its roughly $103 billion investment plan for 2026-2030 to support steady growth in its regulated rate base. At present, few projects are under construction. Management stated that construction milestones are being closely monitored and that the company expects to complete projects on time and on budget.
NextEra Energy plans to invest nearly $94.7 billion through 2030 to strengthen its infrastructure and add more clean electricity generation assets. These investments will allow the company to add more renewable assets and strengthen its infrastructure.
NEE’s Higher Long-Term Debt to Capital vs. DUKUtility operations are capital-intensive and companies in this sector often need to borrow to fund long-term projects when internal resources are insufficient. NextEra Energy is also borrowing funds to meet its capital requirements.
NEE’s current long-term debt to capital is 59.21% compared with DUK’s 59.12%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
NEE & DUK’s Dividend YieldDividends are regular payments made by a company to its shareholders and represent a direct way for investors to earn a return on their investment. This is an important indicator of a company’s financial health and stability, often signaling strong cash flow and consistent earnings. Utilities are known for regular dividend payments to their shareholders.
Currently, the dividend yield of NextEra Energy is 3.15%, while that for Duke Energy is 3.73%.
Summing UpNextEra Energy and Duke Energy are both investing heavily in their infrastructure to serve millions of customers across the United States. Duke Energy’s investment is more elaborate than NextEra Energy.
Although NEE has a slightly higher ROIC, DUK currently appears more attractive in the utility space due to its cheaper valuation, higher dividend yield and lower reliance on long-term debt to run its operations.
Based on the above discussion, Duke Energy currently has an edge over NextEra Energy. Duke Energy currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), while NextEra Energy has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK – Free Report) by 7.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 180,200 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 13,141 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $22,810,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Basso Capital Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 1,111.1% during the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 218 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. IAG Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in Duke Energy by 154.6% during the first quarter. IAG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 275 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the period. Finally, Evergreen Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Duke Energy in the first quarter valued at $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.
Duke Energy Stock Performance NYSE DUK opened at $114.26 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $89.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.16, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.37. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $122.55 and a 200 day moving average of $125.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47. Duke Energy Corporation has a twelve month low of $113.89 and a twelve month high of $134.49.
Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The utilities provider reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.13. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.78% and a net margin of 15.78%.The business had revenue of $7.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.66 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.25 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.72 EPS for the current fiscal year. Duke Energy Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th were given a dividend of $1.085 per share. This is a boost from Duke Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 65.17%.
Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on Duke Energy from $134.00 to $132.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Duke Energy from $133.00 to $127.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 18th. KeyCorp raised Duke Energy from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $139.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Duke Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, September 19th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $137.56.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Duke Energy
More Duke Energy News Here are the key news stories impacting Duke Energy this week:
Positive Sentiment: Rising electricity demand from data centers and Duke’s regulated Southern-market operations continue to support the company’s long-term growth outlook. A comparison with Southern Company highlights Duke’s dividend-growth potential, regulated asset base and exposure to expanding power demand. Southern Company or Duke Energy comparison Positive Sentiment: Duke said it would double available energy-bill assistance, which may improve customer and regulatory relations, although the program could add near-term costs. Duke Energy doubles energy bill assistance Neutral Sentiment: The U.S. Department of Energy ordered Duke to activate backup generation to help stabilize the Carolinas grid and prevent blackouts. The order underscores strong demand and grid-reliability needs, but could increase operating costs and highlight infrastructure constraints. Energy Department backup-power order Neutral Sentiment: Duke has been drawing increased investor attention, but the coverage provides no new fundamental catalyst or change to earnings expectations. Duke Energy attracting investor attention Negative Sentiment: The North Carolina Utilities Commission denied Duke permission to build a new gas plant. While avoiding construction spending may benefit costs, the decision could delay capacity expansion and complicate Duke’s strategy for meeting rising electricity demand. North Carolina denies Duke gas plant Duke Energy Profile (Free Report)
Duke Energy Corporation is an electric and natural gas utility holding company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company generates, transmits, distributes and sells electricity, with a generation portfolio that includes natural gas, nuclear, coal, hydroelectric and renewable energy resources. It also operates natural gas distribution businesses and provides related energy services.
Duke Energy’s regulated electric utilities serve residential, commercial and industrial customers across the Carolinas, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.
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In the latest close session, Duke Energy (DUK - Free Report) was down 1.84% at $114.17. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily loss of 0.76%. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 0.68%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 1.13%.
The electric utility's stock has dropped by 4.34% in the past month, falling short of the Utilities sector's loss of 4.18% and the S&P 500's gain of 1.26%.
The upcoming earnings release of Duke Energy will be of great interest to investors. On that day, Duke Energy is projected to report earnings of $1.88 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 3.87%. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $8.87 billion, up 3.85% from the prior-year quarter.
For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $6.72 per share and a revenue of $33.78 billion, demonstrating changes of +6.5% and +4.78%, respectively, from the preceding year.
It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Duke Energy. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the business performance and profit potential.
Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.
The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.01% lower. At present, Duke Energy boasts a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
Investors should also note Duke Energy's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 17.32. This signifies a premium in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 16.62 for its industry.
One should further note that DUK currently holds a PEG ratio of 2.71. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. The Utility - Electric Power industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 2.46 as of yesterday's close.
The Utility - Electric Power industry is part of the Utilities sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 104, positioning it in the top 43% of all 250+ industries.
The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.
Duke Energy (DUK - Free Report) has recently been on Zacks.com's list of the most searched stocks. Therefore, you might want to consider some of the key factors that could influence the stock's performance in the near future.
Shares of this electric utility have returned -4.3% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.3% change. The Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry, to which Duke Energy belongs, has lost 4.8% over this period. Now the key question is: Where could the stock be headed in the near term?
Although media reports or rumors about a significant change in a company's business prospects usually cause its stock to trend and lead to an immediate price change, there are always certain fundamental factors that ultimately drive the buy-and-hold decision.
Earnings Estimate RevisionsHere at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock.
Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements.
For the current quarter, Duke Energy is expected to post earnings of $1.88 per share, indicating a change of +3.9% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -0.6% over the last 30 days.
For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $6.72 points to a change of +6.5% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has remained unchanged.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $7.15 indicates a change of +6.5% from what Duke Energy is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has remained unchanged.
Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, Duke Energy is rated Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Revenue Growth ForecastEven though a company's earnings growth is arguably the best indicator of its financial health, nothing much happens if it cannot raise its revenues. It's almost impossible for a company to grow its earnings without growing its revenue for long periods. Therefore, knowing a company's potential revenue growth is crucial.
In the case of Duke Energy, the consensus sales estimate of $8.87 billion for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of +3.9%. The $33.78 billion and $35.64 billion estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of +4.8% and +5.5%, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryDuke Energy reported revenues of $7.59 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +1.1%. EPS of $1.43 for the same period compares with $1.25 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.71 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of -1.59%. The EPS surprise was +10.85%.
Over the last four quarters, Duke Energy surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates three times over this period.
ValuationNo investment decision can be efficient without considering a stock's valuation. Whether a stock's current price rightly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects is an essential determinant of its future price performance.
While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.
The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an A is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
Duke Energy is graded C on this front, indicating that it is trading at par with its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
ConclusionThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Duke Energy. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
Duke Energy and Southern Company both serve regulated Southern markets, both raise their dividends annually, and both benefit from surging data center demand, but a close look at their balance sheets and capital plans reveals a clear winner for retirement
, /PRNewswire/ -- Unusually hot September weather is driving high electricity demand across parts of the Carolinas. Duke Energy is asking customers in North Carolina and South Carolina to voluntarily reduce electricity use from 2-8 p.m. today, Sept. 18, to help reduce demand on the power grid during the day's peak period.
Customers can help by taking simple steps during this peak period:
Raise your thermostat to the highest comfortable setting. Avoid using major appliances such as washing machines, clothes dryers and dishwashers. Limit use of electric ranges and ovens, which can add heat to your home and increase air conditioning demand. Electric vehicle owners: Charge overnight, when demand is lower. "Above-average heat puts pressure on the system during peak hours," said Kendal Bowman, president of Duke Energy's utility operations in North Carolina. "Small actions during the late afternoon and early evening can help reduce strain on the grid and support reliable service for everyone."
"We recognize it is inconvenient to reduce electric use, but it makes a real difference," said Tim Pearson, president of Duke Energy's utility operations in South Carolina. "We're using every available resource to meet demand so power keeps flowing to our communities."
Duke Energy has approximately 3.9 million electric customers in North Carolina and more than 870,000 electric customers in South Carolina.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
National award recognizes Duke Energy's safe, rapid restoration following a major winter storm Crews restored power to nearly 200,000 customers, with 95% restored within 24 hours and all customers restored within 48 hours , /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy has received national recognition for helping customers recover quickly from Winter Storm Fern, restoring service to nearly 200,000 customers after the storm brought freezing rain, sleet and snow across the Carolinas in January 2026.
By the numbers
Duke Energy mobilized more than 15,000 lineworkers, vegetation workers and damage assessors to support restoration efforts. In total, crews restored power to nearly 200,000 customers impacted by Winter Storm Fern, with 95% restored within 24 hours and all customers restored within 48 hours.
Self-healing technology was one of several tools crews used in the field to help restore power to customers across the Carolinas following the storm. The technology helped avoid nearly 27,000 customer outages, primarily in the hardest-hit areas of Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina, saving customers almost 150,000 hours of total outage time.
A national award
The Edison Electric Institute's (EEI) Emergency Recovery Award honors electric companies that demonstrate exceptional work to restore service following major outages caused by extreme weather or other natural events. Duke Energy was recognized for the preparation, resource coordination and field execution that helped crews respond safely and restore customers quickly following Winter Storm Fern.
Winners were selected by a panel of judges through EEI's nomination process and announced during EEI's September Board of Directors and Chief Executives Meeting.
What they're saying
"When severe weather strikes, our member companies mobilize around the clock to restore power safely and as quickly as possible for the customers they serve," said Drew Maloney, president and CEO of EEI. "EEI is proud to recognize Duke Energy with the Emergency Recovery Award for its outstanding response following Winter Storm Fern. This honor reflects the skill and determination of Duke Energy's workforce, which prepares year-round through planning, training and investments in grid resilience so crews are ready to respond when customers and communities need them most."
Our view
"Storm response starts long before the weather arrives, and this recognition speaks to the planning, teamwork and operational discipline teams across Duke Energy bring to every event," said Scott Batson, executive vice president and chief power grid officer for Duke Energy. "From year-round readiness and resource coordination to field execution, it reflects a combined enterprise effort focused on safely restoring power, improving reliability and helping bring a sense of normalcy back to customers and communities as quickly as possible."
EEI
EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Its members provide safe, reliable electricity for nearly 250 million Americans and operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The electric power industry supports more than 7 million jobs in communities across the United States.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,100 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an ambitious energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.
More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.
Duke Energy (DUK - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $117.77, moving -1.05% from the previous trading session. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily loss of 0.45%. At the same time, the Dow lost 0.63%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.78%.
Shares of the electric utility witnessed a loss of 3.69% over the previous month, beating the performance of the Utilities sector with its loss of 4.83%, and underperforming the S&P 500's loss of 1.99%.
The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of Duke Energy in its upcoming release. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $1.89, showcasing a 4.42% upward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $8.87 billion, up 3.86% from the year-ago period.
For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $6.72 per share and a revenue of $33.78 billion, representing changes of +6.5% and +4.79%, respectively, from the prior year.
Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Duke Energy. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the business performance and profit potential.
Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.
Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.04% higher. Duke Energy currently has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
In the context of valuation, Duke Energy is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 17.72. This represents a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 17.02.
Investors should also note that DUK has a PEG ratio of 2.78 right now. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. The average PEG ratio for the Utility - Electric Power industry stood at 2.54 at the close of the market yesterday.
The Utility - Electric Power industry is part of the Utilities sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 179, putting it in the bottom 28% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.
Duke Energy has raised its dividend every year for two decades, mailed checks like clockwork, and still managed to leave patient investors wondering if boring was ever really worth it.
Two Decades of Doing the Same Boring Thing Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK | DUK Price Prediction) is a regulated electric and gas utility headquartered in Charlotte, NC, serving roughly 8.73 million retail electric customers across the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest. Regulated means state commissions approve the rates Duke can charge, which caps the upside and cushions the downside. That structure is why the dividend behaves the way it does.
This July, Duke bumped the quarterly payout to $1.085, a 2% increase that marked over 20 years of consecutive annual dividend increases. CFO Brian Savoy called it “consistent with growth in recent years”. Look at the payment history and it is almost hypnotic: $0.765 in 2012, $0.945 in 2019, $1.085 today. One modest step per year, every year.
Initial Investment: $1,000 Total Return: 127.21% S&P 500 (same period): 258.43% Duke trailed the S&P at every horizon. That is the trade. You accepted a slower price return in exchange for a check that arrived four times a year and got a little bigger every summer. The forward annualized dividend now runs $4.34, and the current yield sits at 3.57%. Reinvested through the decade, that income stream did most of the work the price chart never showed (the whole idea behind a dividend ladder you never have to sell out of, which we walked through in a free guide: Never Touch the Principal).
Where to Stand at $119 Investors buying into Duke today are getting a bond-like equity with a real growth engine attached. The bull case is the $103 billion five-year capital plan, 7.8 gigawatts of signed data center agreements, and management’s confidence in earning the top half of a 5% to 7% EPS growth range beginning in 2028. Shares trade at a forward P/E of 17, reasonable for that trajectory.
Investors might want to avoid it if they need income to outrun a high-inflation stretch, or if long rates appear to keep climbing. The 10-year Treasury at 4.95% is a direct competitor for the same dollar, and Duke is a leveraged balance sheet that pays more to borrow as yields rise. A 2% annual raise trails most inflation prints.
The cautiously constructive case wins on balance. The compounding here requires two things: time, and the willingness to do nothing while it happens. What breaks the pattern is a rate case denial, a serious data center demand miss, or a coal ash or nuclear cost shock. Absent that, the next quarterly check hits September 16, 2026, and the one after that will probably be a penny or two larger.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Duke Energy (DUK) offers a compelling long-term buy, leveraging regulated profits from essential infrastructure and a stable, growing dividend. DUK's expansive grid, nuclear fleet, and disciplined capital allocation position it to benefit from rising electricity demand, especially from data centers. My 2027 adjusted EPS estimate is $7.08, supporting a fair value target of $135 based on a 19x multiple and a 3.6% dividend yield.
AXQ Capital LP cut its holdings in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK – Free Report) by 93.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,764 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 24,274 shares during the period. AXQ Capital LP’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $223,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 11.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,754 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $728,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Duke Energy by 19.6% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 23,162 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,825,000 after purchasing an additional 3,797 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its holdings in Duke Energy by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 31,238 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,686,000 after buying an additional 315 shares during the period. AXA S.A. grew its position in shares of Duke Energy by 523.4% in the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 42,233 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $4,983,000 after buying an additional 35,458 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the second quarter worth about $954,000. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms have weighed in on DUK. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $138.00 to $133.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $138.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 17th. KeyCorp raised shares of Duke Energy from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $139.00 target price for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on Duke Energy from $140.00 to $132.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $137.94.
View Our Latest Research Report on DUK Duke Energy Trading Down 0.7% NYSE DUK opened at $120.44 on Thursday. Duke Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $113.89 and a 52 week high of $134.49. The company has a market cap of $93.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.37. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $124.38 and a 200-day moving average price of $126.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47.
Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The utilities provider reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.30 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $7.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.66 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.78% and a return on equity of 9.78%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.25 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Duke Energy Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a $1.085 dividend. This is an increase from Duke Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.34 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is presently 65.17%.
Duke Energy Profile (Free Report)
Duke Energy Corporation is an electric and natural gas utility holding company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company generates, transmits, distributes and sells electricity, with a generation portfolio that includes natural gas, nuclear, coal, hydroelectric and renewable energy resources. It also operates natural gas distribution businesses and provides related energy services.
Duke Energy’s regulated electric utilities serve residential, commercial and industrial customers across the Carolinas, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.
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Duke Energy (DUK - Free Report) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.
Shares of this electric utility have returned -1.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.4% change. The Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry, to which Duke Energy belongs, has lost 2.8% over this period. Now the key question is: Where could the stock be headed in the near term?
Although media reports or rumors about a significant change in a company's business prospects usually cause its stock to trend and lead to an immediate price change, there are always certain fundamental factors that ultimately drive the buy-and-hold decision.
Earnings Estimate RevisionsRather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company's earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.
Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements.
Duke Energy is expected to post earnings of $1.89 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +4.4%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -1.4%.
The consensus earnings estimate of $6.72 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of +6.5%. This estimate has changed +0.1% over the last 30 days.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $7.15 indicates a change of +6.4% from what Duke Energy is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has remained unchanged.
Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, Duke Energy is rated Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Projected Revenue GrowthWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.
In the case of Duke Energy, the consensus sales estimate of $8.87 billion for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of +3.9%. The $33.78 billion and $35.62 billion estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of +4.8% and +5.4%, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryDuke Energy reported revenues of $7.59 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +1.1%. EPS of $1.43 for the same period compares with $1.25 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.71 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of -1.59%. The EPS surprise was +10.85%.
Over the last four quarters, Duke Energy surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates three times over this period.
ValuationNo investment decision can be efficient without considering a stock's valuation. Whether a stock's current price rightly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects is an essential determinant of its future price performance.
While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.
As part of the Zacks Style Scores system, the Zacks Value Style Score (which evaluates both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics) organizes stocks into five groups ranging from A to F (A is better than B; B is better than C; and so on), making it helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
Duke Energy is graded C on this front, indicating that it is trading at par with its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
Bottom LineThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Duke Energy. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK – Free Report) by 6.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 753,875 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 47,537 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.10% of Duke Energy worth $95,426,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of DUK. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 11.6% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,754 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $728,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 19.6% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 23,162 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,825,000 after purchasing an additional 3,797 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its position in shares of Duke Energy by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 31,238 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,686,000 after purchasing an additional 315 shares during the last quarter. AXA S.A. raised its position in shares of Duke Energy by 523.4% during the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 42,233 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $4,983,000 after purchasing an additional 35,458 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC purchased a new stake in Duke Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $954,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Duke Energy Stock Up 0.9% NYSE DUK opened at $121.32 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47. Duke Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $113.89 and a fifty-two week high of $134.49. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $124.48 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $126.36. The stock has a market cap of $94.59 billion, a PE ratio of 18.22, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.37.
Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The utilities provider reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $7.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.66 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.78% and a return on equity of 9.78%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.25 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.72 EPS for the current fiscal year. Duke Energy Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a dividend of $1.085 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $4.34 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.6%. This is a boost from Duke Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 65.17%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have issued reports on DUK. KeyCorp upgraded shares of Duke Energy from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $139.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on Duke Energy from $134.00 to $132.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Truist Financial lowered their price target on Duke Energy from $138.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Mizuho set a $136.00 price objective on Duke Energy in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $137.94.
Check Out Our Latest Report on Duke Energy
About Duke Energy (Free Report)
Duke Energy Corporation is an electric and natural gas utility holding company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company generates, transmits, distributes and sells electricity, with a generation portfolio that includes natural gas, nuclear, coal, hydroelectric and renewable energy resources. It also operates natural gas distribution businesses and provides related energy services.
Duke Energy’s regulated electric utilities serve residential, commercial and industrial customers across the Carolinas, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.
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Texas regulators just froze data-center hookups, and one application fee cut AEP Ohio's pipeline by more than half overnight. Whether that unravels the entire investment case for the most popular utility ETF on the market depends on a number almost…
The Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA:XLU) has been marketed all year as the way to own the AI power buildout without buying AI stocks. That pitch depends on one number holding up: the sea of gigawatt-scale interconnection requests utilities cite to justify record capital plans.
Texas just poked a hole in it. ERCOT’s new Batch Zero review pauses fresh data-center hookups while regulators audit ownership, financing, water use, and on-site generation, and Reuters reported AEP Ohio’s data-center pipeline shrank by more than half after new application fees took effect.
That matters for XLU because its five largest utility positions, NextEra (NYSE:NEE | NEE Price Prediction) at about 13%, Southern (NYSE:SO) near 8%, Duke (NYSE:DUK) around 7%, Constellation (NASDAQ:CEG) at roughly 6%, and American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) just above 5%, are the same companies whose earnings calls now revolve around hyperscaler contracts. If a chunk of that pipeline is a paperwork phantom, XLU’s growth story compresses to something much closer to a bond proxy trading at a 10-year Treasury yield of 4.77%.
How Requested Load Becomes a Multiple of Real Load A single data-center developer can file interconnection requests with several utilities across several states for the same project, and none of those filings commits the developer to breaking ground. Requested capacity ends up counted several times, which is how U.S. utility queues balloon into figures no plausible construction schedule can serve.
The mechanism that separates real from phantom is money. Exelon showed it plainly this quarter, cutting its data-center pipeline to 36 gigawatts from 43, with only 11 gigawatts classified as high-probability and just 4 gigawatts backed by signed transmission security agreements and $1 billion of collateral. AEP is running the same experiment in Texas, where it has collected nearly $2 billion in cash or collateral against 45 gigawatts of Batch Zero load. Pipelines shrink when someone asks for a check.
Why a Regulated Utility Cares Who’s Really Coming A regulated utility earns an allowed return on the capital in its rate base, which is why building substations and transmission lines is profitable, and building the wrong ones is dangerous. If a company energizes lines for a hyperscaler that never arrives, the cost lands on existing ratepayers, then on state commissions that can cut the allowed return when bills spike.
That is the risk hidden inside AEP’s $78 billion five-year capital plan and 7% to 9% EPS growth target through 2030, and it is why Exelon (NASDAQ:EXC) insisted its $41 billion plan through 2029 did not budge when the pipeline was trimmed. The prudent utilities are pricing to the audited subset.
What XLU Actually Owns, and Why It Isn’t Uniform XLU holds roughly 30 names with $23.1 billion in net assets, per the State Street fund page, and the top five drive the fund. Those five are not the same business. NextEra and Southern are regulated wires-and-generation utilities with long capex tails; Constellation sells merchant nuclear power under bilateral contracts.
Constellation this quarter signed 920 megawatts of long-term nuclear PPAs with an average term of 18.5 years with investment-grade counterparties and raised guidance to $11.50 to $12.50 for 2026. That is a genuinely differentiated, AI-powered exposure, and it also explains why CEG is down about 15% year-to-date through September 4, 2026, while the rest of the fund plods along.
Does the Fund Deliver on the Pitch? Not really; once you compare it to the market it is supposed to complement. XLU returned about 2% year-to-date, roughly 6% over one year, and 44% over five years through September 4, 2026. SPY returned about 13%, 19%, and 70% over the same periods.
Against Vanguard’s alternative, XLU looks like an expensive twin. VPU returned about 2% year-to-date, roughly 6% over one year, and 43% over five years, at a 0.09% expense ratio. If you want passive utilities, VPU is doing the same job for less. If you want the AI-power thesis specifically, owning CEG, NEE, and AEP directly concentrates you into the pipelines actually being audited rather than diluting them across water utilities and gas LDCs (we pulled together seven of the non-chipmaker suppliers riding the same buildout, from power to cooling to networking, in a free AI infrastructure report).
Is XLU ETF a Buy? The setup looks balanced but skews cautious. XLU still owns the toll roads for whatever load does show up, and even a heavily discounted queue exceeds available generation after two decades of flat demand. But the fund’s valuation reflects the optimistic pipeline, not the audited one, and a 4.77% 10-year yield as of September 3, 2026 gives income buyers a cleaner alternative.
Investors seeking the AI-power thesis get more concentrated exposure through Constellation or NextEra directly, while those focused on defensive income get the same utility basket more cheaply through VPU.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Turning $930,000 into a lifetime income stream sounds simple until you realize an annuity payout and a dividend yield are not measuring the same thing, and that gap changes everything about which strategy actually wins.
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You have $930,000 and one question: Does an insurance company writing a lifetime check produce more monthly income than a dividend portfolio you control? Most of the confusion comes from comparing two numbers that do not measure the same thing.
Payout Rate Versus Yield: A Critical Distinction A single premium immediate annuity quote is expressed as a payout rate, which blends interest with a scheduled return of your own principal. On a $930,000 contract for a 65-year-old, a prevailing 7.3% payout rate produces roughly $5,650 a month for life, but the insurer keeps the principal when you die.
A dividend portfolio works differently because the capital stays invested. That same $930,000 parked across high-yield stocks generates about $5,370 a month while preserving the underlying shares for your estate.
Dividend Lineup: 40% DUK, 30% PDI, 30% T These three holdings span a wide risk range, and calling any of them “annuity-safe” would be misleading.
Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK | DUK Price Prediction) is the most defensible name. The regulated utility yields 3.5% at a recent price of $120 and just raised the quarterly dividend to $1.085 per share, payable September 16, 2026. Management reaffirmed 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $6.55 to $6.80 and a 5% to 7% long-term EPS growth target through 2030. Rate cases and heavy capital spending are real risks, but the dividend has a long record of steady annual increases.
AT&T (NYSE:T) yields 4.3% at roughly $26. Readers need to know this: AT&T cut the quarterly dividend from $0.52 to $0.2775 per share in 2022 and has held it flat ever since. Free cash flow guidance of $18 billion or more in 2026 supports the current payout, but a telecom that already cut once is no substitute for a contractual lifetime payment.
PIMCO Dynamic Income Fund (NYSE:PDI) carries the most risk here. The leveraged multi-sector closed-end bond fund has paid a monthly $0.2205 distribution, largely unchanged since 2020, while shares fell 11% over the past year to $15. A flat distribution against a falling price is a pattern worth examining: check the fund’s distribution composition for return of capital before assuming the payout is all investment income. Closed-end funds also trade at premiums or discounts to net asset value. PDI has historically traded at a premium, and leverage magnifies both income and losses while making the fund highly rate-sensitive.
Annuity Side of the Ledger Payout rates for a single premium immediate annuity, or SPIA, track long-term interest rates, and with the 10-year Treasury near 5% and near a one-year high, that backdrop supports firmer annuity quotes than were available two years ago. The actual monthly figure depends on your age, sex, state, and payout option, so a licensed agent should provide a specific number rather than a national average.
Tradeoffs to weigh: payments are fixed and lose purchasing power to inflation across a 25- or 30-year retirement, the decision is irreversible, and you take on insurer credit risk backstopped only by your state guaranty association up to a coverage limit that varies by state. Riders such as period certain, joint life, or an inflation adjustment all reduce the monthly check.
Which Number Wins, and Which Decision Wins On the pure monthly check comparison, the annuity edges ahead by delivering roughly $5,650 every month compared to $5,370 from the dividend lineup. The annuity wins the monthly income race because it actively spends down your principal.
The dividend portfolio produces slightly less cash each month, but leaves all $930,000 in underlying shares fully intact and available to your heirs. We walked through building that kind of paycheck-style income schedule from ordinary savings in a free guide here.
Three Actions Before You Commit Get three real SPIA quotes at your exact age and state, with and without an inflation rider, so you can see how much monthly income the rider actually costs. Pull PDI’s most recent Section 19 notice to see how much of the distribution is investment income versus return of capital, and check the fund’s current premium or discount to NAV before buying. Compare AT&T’s post-cut $0.2775 quarterly dividend against Duke’s rising $1.085 to decide which behavior you actually want in a lifetime-income holding. Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Not every dividend stock survives a recession with its payout intact, but regulated utilities operate under a different set of rules entirely. These three have raised dividends for decades by design, and the mechanics behind that streak are worth understanding…
Regulated electric utilities are one of the few places income investors can find dividends backed by cash flows that don’t rely on the economic cycle. Rate cases, riders, and long-term customer contracts turn capital spending into recoverable revenue, which is why payouts at these three names have kept climbing for decades. The clearest example: Con Edison’s “50 straight years of dividend increases, a record unmatched among utilities in the S&P 500” was extended again this year to a 52nd consecutive annual increase. Here are three regulated-cash-flow utilities that income-focused portfolios can lean on.
Duke Energy Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK | DUK Price Prediction) is one of the largest fully regulated electric utilities in the country, serving roughly 8.73 million retail customers across the Carolinas, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, plus Piedmont Natural Gas. The stock closed at $121.40 on September 3, 2026, with an annualized forward dividend of $4.34 after the July step-up to a $1.085 quarterly rate.
On dividend safety, Duke’s coverage is anchored by an earnings base that grew through Q2. Adjusted EPS came in at $1.43 versus a $1.31 estimate, the fifth straight beat, and management reaffirmed full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $6.55 to $6.80 against a payout that runs at $4.34 annualized. Behind that, CFO Brian Savoy said Duke is tracking to a 14.5% FFO-to-debt target for 2026 with a longer-term expectation of 15%, describing the balance sheet as having “substantial cushion to our downgrade thresholds.” The dividend track record is equally sturdy: on the Q2 call, management noted “over 20 years of consecutive annual dividend increases” and framed the recent 2% raise as “consistent with growth in recent years.”
Duke is deploying more than $1 billion per month in regulated capital, has secured 7.8 gigawatts of data-center electric service agreements, and expects 5% to 7% long-term EPS growth through 2030, in the top half of the range beginning in 2028. Rate-case outcomes like the 9.8% allowed ROE with a 53% equity structure in North Carolina convert that spend into recoverable earnings.
Here’s the risk: Duke’s plan hinges on the timing of large-load ramps. Higher depreciation on the growing rate base, higher interest expense, and potential data-center load underperformance could delay the earnings acceleration that funds bigger dividend hikes.
Southern Company Southern Company (NYSE:SO) is the Southeast income anchor, operating Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Mississippi Power, Southern Power, and Southern Company Gas across roughly 9 million regulated utility customers. Shares finished at $88.77 on September 3, 2026, and the annualized forward dividend is $3.04 following the increase to a $0.76 quarterly payment.
Dividend safety at Southern is a function of geography and regulatory design. Q2 adjusted EPS was $1.13 versus a $1.00 estimate, and first-half adjusted EPS reached $2.46 with full-year 2026 adjusted EPS projected near or at the top of the $4.50 to $4.60 range. That earnings power sits well above the $3.04 payout. The dividend history is likewise consistent: the dividend record shows annual increases in the quarterly rate every year from 2010 through 2026, moving from $0.455 up to the current $0.76. Financing is disciplined too: Southern said its objective is to move toward 17% FFO to debt by 2029 and has already reduced its projected remaining equity need by 2030 to $1.1 billion.
Southern’s contracted large-load commitments now exceed 17 gigawatts by the mid-2030s, including a 3.2 gigawatt, 25-year electric service contract with OpenAI for a site near Savannah. Crucially for regulated cash flow, CEO Chris Womack said “Large load customers are paying their full share” and pricing includes minimum bills covering at least 100% of the incremental cost to serve, termination payments, and significant high-credit-quality collateral requirements. Retail base rates are held stable in Georgia and Alabama until 2029, insulating existing customers.
The risk to this thesis is that Southern Power’s wind-repowering hit continues to weigh on results, with roughly $205 million of accelerated depreciation remaining in 2026 and $120 million in 2027. Tariff and supply-chain pressures on the large capex plan are a related concern.
Consolidated Edison Consolidated Edison (NYSE:ED) is the New York regulated pure-play, running CECONY in NYC and Westchester, Orange and Rockland Utilities, and Con Edison Transmission. Shares closed at $108.75 on September 3, 2026, with an annualized forward dividend of $3.55 after the current $0.8875 quarterly rate took effect.
On safety, Con Edison has the longest verified dividend track record on this list: the Q2 release confirmed the 52nd consecutive year of dividend increases with a 4.4% annualized increase in 2026, a Dividend King streak visible in the payment record climbing from $0.535 in 1999 to $0.8875 in 2026 with no decreases. Q2 adjusted EPS was $0.83 versus a $0.77 estimate, and management reaffirmed full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $6.00 to $6.20. The balance sheet is straightforward: “We have no long-term parent company debt and prefer to raise debt capital at the operating companies where infrastructure investments are made.” Revenue visibility gets an additional boost from revenue decoupling in both gas and electric in New York State, which cushions earnings against volume swings.
Con Edison expects a regulated investment base 8.8% five-year CAGR from $46.4 billion in 2025 to roughly $67.2 billion by 2030, with capex rising from $6.6 billion in 2026 to $8.6 billion by 2030. CEO Tim Cawley pointed to 20% to 25% higher electric demand from new NYC buildings and 28 new substations by 2035, and framed the company as a “bellwether holding for any equity or debt investor seeking a steady and reliable investment.”
In terms of the risk: funding that capex requires meaningful equity issuance. Con Edison entered a $2.0 billion ATM equity offering program in May 2026 and plans up to $1.1 billion common equity plus $3.2 billion long-term debt issuance in 2026, and there is a Moody’s negative outlook on Con Edison and CECONY to watch.
Bringing It Together Duke, Southern, and Con Edison all share the same core dividend engine: state-regulated utilities that recover capital investment through rate cases and riders, and that are now leveraging data-center and electrification demand into multi-year rate-base growth. Duke offers the largest regulated capital plan and the freshest earnings acceleration story, Southern layers in contracted large-load revenue plus rate stability through 2029, and Con Edison brings the deepest dividend track record on the board with a 52-year streak of raises (we ranked ten more 50-year raisers by valuation in a free Dividend Kings report). For retirement-focused income, that is what durable payout support looks like.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Florida customers can expect lower rates beginning in January 2027, compared to December 2026, following a request the company filed today with the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC).
What this means:
Duke Energy Florida's typical residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of energy per month should see a $0.71 decrease on their bills from December 2026 to January 2027. The company's commercial and industrial customers' bill reductions will range between 0.8% and 3.6% from December 2026 to January 2027, though the impact will vary depending on several factors. Our view:
"What matters to our customers matters to us, and right now, we know they're carefully watching every dollar," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "While we're glad to start 2027 with a rate decrease, we'll remain focused on making smart, disciplined investments that allow us to keep our costs in check and continue delivering increasingly reliable service all year long."
How we got here:
Customer rates consist of several components that Duke Energy Florida adjusts annually to set the total bill for the year ahead, pending approval from the FPSC. Among other charges, it includes the price of fuel used to generate power, continued expansion of cost-effective renewable energy and ongoing infrastructure improvements that help reduce outages and allow for faster restoration after storms. Some costs, like fuel, are decreasing, while others, such as investments to strengthen the grid, are increasing slightly in 2027. However, a 2% increase in the base rate – another component of the total rate, set by the FPSC in 2024 – is being avoided altogether because of an innovative tax strategy recently implemented by the company to accelerate the delivery of $50 million in customer savings next year. Duke Energy Florida is always looking for creative ways to keep costs as low as possible for customers, such as developing more solar energy sites – which do not rely on fuel – and completing efficiency upgrades at its natural gas plants to enable them to produce more power with the same amount of fuel. Help is available:
Customers are encouraged to take advantage of the many energy efficiency and financial assistance programs offered by Duke Energy Florida, from free assessments of their home's energy use to flexible payment plans. For more information, please visit duke-energy.com/SummerSolutions or duke-energy.com/HereToHelp.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
Contact: Aly Raschid
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
X: @DE_AlyRaschid
A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Duke Energy (DUK - Free Report) . Shares have lost about 2.3% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
But investors have to be wondering, will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Duke Energy due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.
Duke Energy Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Increase Y/Y
Duke Energy Corporation's second-quarter 2026 earnings of $1.43 per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.29 by 10.9%. The bottom line increased 14.4% from $1.25 reported in the year-ago quarter.
DUK’s RevenuesTotal operating revenues were $7.59 billion, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.72 billion by 1.6%. The top line increased 1% from $7.51 billion in the year-ago period.
Highlights of DUK’s Q2 ResultsOperating expenses amounted to $5.55 billion, down 2.4% year over year. The decrease was primarily due to lower cost of natural gas, operation, maintenance and other and lower property and other taxes.
The operating income totaled $2.05 billion compared with $1.83 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Interest expenses rose to $957 million from $897 million in the second quarter of 2025.
The average number of customers in its Electric Utilities and Infrastructure increased 1.4% year over year.
Total electric sales volume for the reported quarter went up 0.4% year over year to 64,442 gigawatt-hours.
DUK’s Segmental HighlightsElectric Utilities & Infrastructure: This segment’s adjusted earnings totaled $1.3 billion, up from $1.2 billion in the second quarter of 2025. This was primarily driven by the recovery of investments in infrastructure needed to reliably serve customers across its growing jurisdictions, partially offset by higher depreciation associated with an expanding asset base and increased interest expense.
Gas Utilities & Infrastructure: Adjusted earnings from this segment amounted to $10 million compared with $6 million in the second quarter of 2025. This was primarily driven by recovery of infrastructure investments to reliably serve customers in its growing jurisdictions, offset by lower earnings from the sale of Piedmont's Tennessee business.
Other: The segment includes corporate interest expenses not allocated to other business units, resulting from Duke Energy’s captive insurance company and other investments. On an adjusted basis, this segment incurred a loss of $204 million compared with a loss of $228 million in the second quarter of 2025. Higher quarterly results were primarily driven by higher returns on investments and lower interest expense.
Financial Condition of DUKAs of June 30, 2026, Duke Energy had cash & cash equivalents of $673 million compared with $245 million as of Dec. 31, 2025.
As of June 30, 2026, the long-term debt was $82.24 billion compared with $80.11 billion as of Dec. 31, 2025.
During the first six months of 2026, the company generated net cash from operating activities of $4.27 billion compared with $5.04 billion a year ago.
2026 Guidance by DUKDuke Energy expects to generate 2026 adjusted EPS in the range of $6.55-$6.80. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings is pegged at $6.72, which is higher than the midpoint of the company’s projected range.
The company expects long-term adjusted EPS growth of 5-7% through 2030.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?Since the earnings release, investors have witnessed a downward trend in fresh estimates.
VGM ScoresCurrently, Duke Energy has a subpar Growth Score of D, however its Momentum Score is doing a bit better with a C. Following the exact same course, the stock has a score of C on the value side, putting it in the middle 20% for value investors.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of D. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Interestingly, Duke Energy has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.
