Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 6.550-6.800 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 6.700. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Duke Energy Trading Up 1.7%

NYSE DUK opened at $123.75 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $96.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.51. Duke Energy has a 12 month low of $110.51 and a 12 month high of $130.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The company has a 50-day moving average of $118.14 and a 200-day moving average of $121.67.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The utilities provider reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.01. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.76% and a return on equity of 9.98%. The business had revenue of $7.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.57 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.66 earnings per share. Duke Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.550-6.800 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Duke Energy will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.065 per share. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 66.98%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on DUK shares. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $141.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Scotiabank raised their price objective on Duke Energy from $137.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on Duke Energy from $143.00 to $140.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $135.00 to $126.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $135.00 to $127.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $134.13.

Insider Transactions at Duke Energy

In other news, EVP Robert Alexander Glenn sold 8,200 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.80, for a total transaction of $1,015,160.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 11,367 shares in the company, valued at $1,407,234.60. This trade represents a 41.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.14% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Duke Energy

Here are the key news stories impacting Duke Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results: Duke reported Q4 EPS of $1.50 and revenue of $7.94B, topping consensus revenue and narrowly beating EPS expectations — the top?line beat and commentary helped lift near?term sentiment. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Data?center demand: Duke signed ~1.5 GW of new data?center deals in Q4 (pipeline now ~4.5 GW) and cited contracts with large hyperscalers, supporting higher revenues and utilization. Seeking Alpha
• Positive Sentiment: Big capital plan & long?term guidance: Management raised its five?year capital plan to a record ~$103B and reiterated a 5%–7% long?term EPS growth cadence through 2030 — this underpins growth expectations and investor confidence in regulated/critical infrastructure investment. Charlotte Observer
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory/regain cash: Company recovered ~$3B in storm costs and highlighted operational reliability wins, which supports cash flow and rate case positions. Investing.com
• Positive Sentiment: Stronger demand/profit outlook: Management forecasted higher 2026 profit on robust winter power demand and record peak usage in the Carolinas, supporting near?term earnings visibility. Reuters
• Neutral Sentiment: FY?2026 EPS guidance: Duke set FY?2026 EPS at $6.55–$6.80 (consensus ~6.70) — a range that broadly tracks expectations but leaves little near?term surprise. Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed media take on beat/miss: Some outlets frame the quarter as a narrow beat while others highlight small misses versus specific estimates — market reaction reflects the ambiguity. Zacks
• Negative Sentiment: Municipal risk: St. Petersburg has begun a study to explore creating a city?run electric utility as Duke’s contract nears expiration — a localized regulatory/customer risk that could pressure growth in that market if pursued. Florida Politics

Institutional Trading of Duke Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. 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 period. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in Duke Energy by 11.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,754 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $728,000 after buying an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. Financial Advisors Network Inc. increased its position in Duke Energy by 13.6% in the second quarter. Financial Advisors Network Inc. now owns 3,592 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $424,000 after buying an additional 431 shares during the period. Cardiff Park Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the third quarter valued at $291,000. Finally, Scott Marsh Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the second quarter valued at $276,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

About Duke Energy

Duke Energy Corporation is a U.S.-based electric power holding company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company’s core business is the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Duke Energy operates a mix of regulated electric utilities and non-regulated energy businesses, providing essential energy infrastructure and services across multiple states.

Its operating activities include owning and operating generation assets across a portfolio that encompasses nuclear, natural gas, coal, hydroelectric and an expanding array of renewable resources, as well as battery storage and grid modernization projects.