Duke Energy (DUK) ended the recent trading session at $116.97, demonstrating a +1.36% change from the preceding day's closing price. The stock's performance was ahead of the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.96%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.89%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 0.94%.
Prior to today's trading, shares of the electric utility had lost 0.94% was narrower than the Utilities sector's loss of 2.43% and lagged the S&P 500's gain of 0.5%.
Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Duke Energy in its upcoming earnings disclosure. In that report, analysts expect Duke Energy to post earnings of $1.29 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 9.32%. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $7.38 billion, up 2.88% from the year-ago period.
Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of $6.32 per share and revenue of $31.8 billion, indicating changes of +7.12% and +4.77%, respectively, compared to the previous year.
Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Duke Energy. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the business and profitability.
Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-term stock moves. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable 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. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 0.02% downward. Duke Energy is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
In terms of valuation, Duke Energy is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 18.25. This signifies a premium in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 17.76 for its industry.
We can also see that DUK currently has a PEG ratio of 2.88. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. By the end of yesterday's trading, the Utility - Electric Power industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.58.
The Utility - Electric Power industry is part of the Utilities sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 83, placing it within the top 34% of over 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.
Remember to apply Zacks.com to follow these and more stock-moving metrics during the upcoming trading sessions.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Duke Energy Corporation (DUK): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research
