Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Posted by Brian Himes on Oct 19th, 2026

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK – Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Duke Energy from $137.00 to $130.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Mizuho set a $136.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $133.00 to $127.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 18th. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $132.00 to $124.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $132.73.

Read Our Latest Analysis on DUK

Duke Energy Stock Performance

DUK stock opened at $121.42 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $118.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $123.73. Duke Energy has a 1-year low of $112.40 and a 1-year high of $134.49. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47. The firm has a market cap of $94.68 billion, a PE ratio of 18.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.36.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The utilities provider reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.30 by $0.13. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.78% and a net margin of 15.78%. The company had revenue of $7.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.66 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.25 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Duke Energy will post 6.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duke Energy

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of DUK. Evergreen Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the first quarter valued at $36,000. IAG Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Wealth Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the first quarter worth about $38,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 53.1% during the first quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 297 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gill Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 128.9% in the 2nd quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC now owns 309 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Duke Energy News Roundup

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

Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy’s proposed large-load tariff for North Carolina data centers was described by state officials as a “massive step forward.” The structure could help make large technology customers pay for the additional generation and grid investment they require, reducing cost-shift risk for existing ratepayers while supporting long-term demand growth. North Carolina large-load tariff response
Positive Sentiment: Recent investor comparisons highlight Duke Energy’s roughly 3.8% dividend yield, its 2% quarterly dividend increase in July 2026 and a targeted 5%–7% long-term growth range. Those features continue to support the stock’s appeal to income-focused investors relative to some utility peers. Duke Energy versus Xcel Energy
Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy is planning a major energy complex in Davie and Davidson counties and continues grid and infrastructure work. These projects may expand the regulated asset base over time, but they also require substantial capital spending. Duke Energy plans energy complex
Negative Sentiment: KeyCorp lowered its 2026 EPS forecast to $6.64 from $6.70, reduced its third-quarter estimate to $1.88 from $1.99 and cut its fourth-quarter forecast to $1.43 from $1.57. Although KeyCorp retained an Overweight rating and a $128 price target, the revisions signal near-term earnings pressure. KeyCorp Duke Energy estimates
Negative Sentiment: Analysts are scrutinizing Duke Energy’s dividend because the company is committing approximately $103 billion to infrastructure while operating cash flow does not fully cover distributions. Higher financing needs, interest rates or execution problems could pressure dividend growth and valuation. Duke Energy dividend coverage analysis
Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan reportedly cut its price target for Duke Energy, adding to concerns that the stock’s valuation and earnings outlook may face pressure despite its defensive dividend profile. JPMorgan Duke Energy price target

Duke Energy Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Duke Energy Corporation is an energy holding company that provides regulated electric and natural gas utility services in the United States. Its electric utilities generate, transmit, distribute and sell electricity to residential, commercial, industrial and other customers. The company’s generation portfolio includes nuclear, natural gas, coal, hydroelectric and renewable energy resources.

Duke Energy serves customers primarily in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.