Duke Energy(US:DUK) ZACKSยท2025-10-08 13:25Core Insights - Duke Energy (DUK) is consistently investing in infrastructure and expansion projects to enhance service reliability and is increasing its renewable generation portfolio, making it a solid investment option in the Zacks Utility Electric Power industry [1] Growth Outlook - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DUK's 2025 earnings per share (EPS) is $6.32, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 7.1% [2] - The estimated revenues for DUK in 2025 are $31.76 billion, indicating a growth of 4.6% from the 2024 reported figure [2] - DUK's long-term earnings growth rate is projected at 6.6%, with an average earnings surprise of 3.12% over the last four quarters [2] Return to Shareholders - Duke Energy has been increasing shareholder value through consistent dividend payments, with a current quarterly dividend of $1.065 per share, leading to an annualized dividend of $4.26 and a dividend yield of 3.39% [3] Capital Deployment Plan - DUK plans to invest $190-$200 billion over the next decade, focusing on clean energy transition, with $87 billion earmarked for the 2025-2029 period [5] Renewable Expansion Initiatives - As of July 2025, Duke Energy operates 1,500 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity in Florida and plans to add 1,500 MW of solar capacity annually in the Carolinas and 900 MW annually in Florida starting in 2027 [6] - The company aims to add 6,700 MW of solar and 2,700 MW of battery energy storage in the Carolinas by 2031 [6] - DUK plans to introduce 1,200 MW of onshore wind by 2033 and 800-1,100 MW of offshore wind by 2034, with an additional 2,200-2,400 MW by 2035 [7] Solvency - Duke Energy's times interest earned (TIE) ratio at the end of Q2 2025 was 2.6, indicating the company's capacity to meet long-term debt obligations [10] Stock Price Performance - In the past month, Duke Energy shares have increased by 4.3%, outperforming the industry's growth of 2.9% [11]