Duke Energy Q4 Earnings Lag Estimates, Revenues Rise Y/Y

Core Insights - Duke Energy Corporation's (DUK) fourth-quarter 2025 earnings per share (EPS) were $1.50, slightly below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.51, marking a 9.6% decline from $1.66 in the same quarter last year [1][8] - Total operating revenues for the quarter reached $7.94 billion, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.66 billion by 3.9%, and increased by 7.9% from $7.36 billion year-over-year [2][8] - For the full year 2025, Duke Energy reported revenues of $32.24 billion, up from $30.36 billion in 2024 [2] Financial Performance - Total operating expenses for the fourth quarter were $5.83 billion, an increase of 11% year-over-year, driven by higher costs in natural gas, operations, maintenance, depreciation, and property taxes [3] - Operating income for the quarter was $2.119 billion, slightly up from $2.112 billion in the previous year [3] - Interest expenses rose to $946 million from $871 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 [3] Customer and Sales Metrics - The average number of customers in Duke Energy's Electric Utilities segment increased by 1.5% year-over-year [4] - Total electric sales volume for the reported quarter increased by 2.3% year-over-year, reaching 61,726 gigawatt-hours [4] Segment Performance - In the Electric Utilities & Infrastructure segment, adjusted earnings for the fourth quarter were $1.21 billion, down from $1.24 billion in the same quarter of 2024, primarily due to increased operational and depreciation costs [5] - The Gas Utilities & Infrastructure segment reported adjusted earnings of $230 million, slightly down from $231 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 [6] - The "Other" segment incurred a loss of $272 million, compared to a loss of $186 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, reflecting corporate interest expenses [6] Financial Condition - As of December 31, 2025, Duke Energy had cash and cash equivalents of $245 million, down from $314 million a year earlier [9] - Long-term debt increased to $80.11 billion from $76.34 billion as of December 31, 2024 [9] - The company generated net cash from operating activities of $12.330 billion in 2025, slightly up from $12.328 billion in the previous year [9] Future Guidance - Duke Energy expects to generate adjusted EPS in the range of $6.55 to $6.80 for 2026, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings at $6.70, which is above the midpoint of the company's projected range [10] - The company aims for long-term EPS growth of 5-7% through 2030 [10]