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

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 6.550-6.80 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 6.700. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Duke Energy Stock Up 0.9%

Duke Energy stock traded up $1.10 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $128.55. The stock had a trading volume of 1,241,312 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,107,349. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. The stock has a market cap of $100.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.35 and a beta of 0.41. Duke Energy has a 12 month low of $111.22 and a 12 month high of $134.49. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $129.82 and a 200 day moving average price of $124.26.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.79 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.44 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.66% and a net margin of 15.41%.Duke Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.76 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Duke Energy will post 6.7 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DUK has been the subject of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Duke Energy from $138.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Truist Financial initiated coverage on Duke Energy in a research note on Monday, April 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $142.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Duke Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 28th. Evercore restated an “in-line” rating and issued a $139.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Duke Energy from $135.00 to $136.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $140.25.

Insider Activity at Duke Energy

In other news, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.86, for a total transaction of $123,001.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 3,896 shares in the company, valued at approximately $498,142.56. The trade was a 19.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.67, for a total value of $868,156.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 22,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,809,633.69. This represents a 23.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

More Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings beat — Duke reported $1.93 EPS vs. consensus $1.79 and revenue of $9.18B (above estimates), signaling solid top- and bottom-line momentum. Duke Energy (DUK) Surpasses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Rate recovery and favorable weather supported results — Reuters notes regulated rate-base recovery and weather helped profit and revenue, reinforcing utility fundamentals for near-term cash flow. Duke Energy tops profit, revenue estimates on rate recovery, weather boost
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term customer savings program finalized — Duke finalized initiatives expected to deliver >$5B in cost-saving benefits to customers, which can reduce regulatory pressure and support rate cases. Duke Energy finalizes two initiatives to deliver more than $5 billion in cost-saving benefits to customers
• Neutral Sentiment: Company published full Q1 release and investor materials — the PR/IR packet and slide deck are available for details on items driving results and guidance. Duke Energy reports first-quarter 2026 financial results
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation tweak — recent analysis trimmed modeled fair value slightly (from ~$139.82 to ~$139.39), a modest adjustment that leaves upside largely intact but may slow further analyst upgrades. How Duke Energy (DUK) Story Is Shifting With New Targets And Load Growth Expectations
• Negative Sentiment: Rising costs and interest expense pressure — coverage notes higher operating costs and increased interest expenses weighed on margins and the overall financial picture, which could constrain free cash flow and rate-case outcomes. Duke Energy Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Increase Y/Y
• Negative Sentiment: FY‑2026 EPS range slightly mixed — Duke gave EPS guidance of $6.55–$6.80 (consensus ~$6.70). The lower bound is below consensus, which may temper analyst upgrades despite the beat. (Guidance disclosed in Q1 materials.)

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duke Energy

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. A4 Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. A4 Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,597 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $304,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 4.1% during the third quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 2,113 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $261,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the period. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 8,627 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,011,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 68.6% during the 4th quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 231 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Manhattan CO. LLC. boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. now owns 13,295 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,558,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Company Profile

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.