Duke Energy Corporation (DUK)
Duke Energy is a massive American utility company that keeps the lights on for millions of homes and businesses across the United States.
Is Duke Energy Corporation a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: Duke Energy is a massive American utility company that keeps the lights on for millions of homes and businesses across the United States.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Significant expansion of the power grid to support the growing demand from data centres.
Long-term failure to adapt to new environmental regulations or technology shifts.
What does Duke Energy Corporation do?
Duke Energy generates, transmits, and distributes electricity and natural gas to millions of customers, acting as a essential service provider. Charging households and businesses for the energy they use is what brings in the cash, and it tends to be a very steady and predictable business model. The balancing act to follow is funding the massive upgrade of their power grid to cleaner energy while keeping customers' bills affordable.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on income and value, and weakest on quality.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 3.5% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 11% over the year
- ✓Very profitable - turns about 16% of sales into profit
- !Carries a lot of debt - roughly 1.6x its equity
- Provides an essential service that people need regardless of the economy
- Historically reliable dividend payments
- Low volatility compared to the broader stock market
- Severe weather events causing expensive damage to power lines
- Rising interest rates making it more expensive to fund new projects
- Strict environmental regulations forcing costly changes to power plants
What do Duke Energy Corporation's numbers mean?
How much money does Duke Energy Corporation make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Duke Energy Corporation pay a dividend?
Yes - Duke Energy Corporation currently pays a dividend of about 3.5% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
When does Duke Energy Corporation report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Duke Energy Corporation is next scheduled to report on about 2026-08-04 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-05 | $1.80 | $1.93 | Beat +7% |
| 2026-02-10 | $1.49 | $1.50 | In line |
| 2025-11-07 | $1.75 | $1.81 | Beat +3% |
| 2025-08-05 | $1.17 | $1.25 | Beat +6% |
| 2025-05-06 | $1.59 | $1.76 | Beat +11% |
| 2025-02-13 | $1.65 | $1.66 | In line |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Duke Energy Corporation came in ahead of what analysts expected 4 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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Eversource EnergyWhat are the scenarios for Duke Energy Corporation?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Duke Energy Corporation?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Provides an essential service that people need regardless of the economy
- Historically reliable dividend payments
- Low volatility compared to the broader stock market
- Heavy reliance on regulatory approval to set prices
- Requires constant, expensive investment in physical infrastructure
- Growth is typically slower than in tech or consumer sectors
- Severe weather events causing expensive damage to power lines
- Rising interest rates making it more expensive to fund new projects
- Strict environmental regulations forcing costly changes to power plants
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A major change in how utility companies are regulated by the government
- A sudden, permanent drop in electricity demand from industrial customers
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.