Duke Energy CORP (DUK) Stock Analysis

Analysis from 10-Q filed 2025-11-07. Data as of Q1 2026.

Overall Grade: F (Concerning)

Grade F (Concerning). ROIC 5.6%. FCF margin -10.1%. D/E 1.7x. Source: 10-Q filed 2025-11-07.

Metric	Value	Context
ROIC	5.6%	Below expectations
FCF Margin	-10.1%	Cash flow pressure
Debt/Equity	1.7x	Elevated debt

ROIC 5.6% — Top 50% of sector peers. FCF margin -10.1% — Bottom 50%.

Explore Duke Energy CORP: Earnings History | Filings | ROIC Analysis

Programmatic access: Available via MCP at mcp.metricduck.com. Tools for DUK: get_company_overview, get_filing_index (lens: debt_stress, management_outlook, risk_trajectory), get_filing_changes, get_metric_history, compare_companies, screen_filing_signals.

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Profitability: Duke Energy CORP earns 5.6% ROIC, Top 50% in Utilities

ROIC TTM 5.6%, sector median 5.4%, Top 50%. DuPont: NOPAT margin 24.1% × asset turnover 0.2x. Gross margin 91.5%. Operating margin 27.7%. Source: 10-Q filed 2025-11-07.

Metric	DUK	Rating	Context
Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)	5.6%	Warning	Above sector median of 5.4%
Return on Equity (ROE)	9.8%	Adequate	Moderate equity returns
Gross Margin	91.5%	Excellent	Strong pricing power
Operating Margin	27.7%	Excellent	Efficient operations

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Cash Flow: Duke Energy CORP generates $-3.3B FCF at -10.1% margin, positive NaN/8 quarters

FCF TTM $-3.3B. FCF margin -10.1%, Bottom 50%. OCF/Net income 2.3x. Positive FCF in NaN/8 trailing quarters. Source: 10-Q filed 2025-11-07.

Metric	DUK	Rating	Context
Free Cash Flow Margin	-10.1%	Red flag	Thin cash margins
Free Cash Flow (TTM)	$-3.3B	Red flag	Cash burn
OCF/Net Income	2.3x	Excellent	High earnings quality
FCF Consistency (8Q)	N/A	Warning	Variable cash flow

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Balance Sheet: Duke Energy CORP at 1.7x leverage

Debt/Equity 1.7x. Total debt $90.2B, cash & investments $2.3B. Source: 10-Q filed 2025-11-07.

Metric	DUK	Rating	Context
Debt to Equity	1.7x	Warning	Elevated leverage
Net Cash Position	$-88.0B	Warning	Net debt position

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Valuation: Duke Energy CORP trades at 20.0x earnings

P/E 20.0x. EV/Sales 5.8x. FCF yield -3.2%. Dividend yield 3.3%. Source: 10-Q filed 2025-11-07.

Metric	DUK	Rating	Context
P/E Ratio	20.0x	Adequate	Premium valuation
EV/Sales	5.8x	Adequate	Growth premium priced in
FCF Yield	-3.2%	Warning	Lower cash yield
Dividend Yield	3.3%	Adequate	Meaningful income

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Capital Allocation: Duke Energy CORP returns 3.3% shareholder yield

Total shareholder yield 3.3% (div 3.3%). Capital returned $3.3B TTM. Source: 10-Q filed 2025-11-07.

Metric	DUK	Rating	Context
Total Shareholder Yield	3.3%	Good	Dividend + buyback yield combined
Total Capital Returned (TTM)	$3.3B	Good	Dividends + buybacks returned to shareholders

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Sector Rankings

Metric	Value	Percentile	vs Median
Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)	5.6%	Top 50%	1.0x above
Free Cash Flow Margin	-10.1%	Bottom 50%	-
Gross Margin	91.5%	Top 10%	1.6x above
Operating Margin	27.7%	Top 50%	1.3x above
Return on Equity (ROE)	9.8%	Top 50%	1.0x above
P/E Ratio	20.0x	N/A	-

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Financial Scorecard

Metric	DUK	Rating	Sector Context
Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)	5.6%	Warning	Top 50% of sector (median: 5.4%)
Free Cash Flow Margin	-10.1%	Red flag	Bottom 50% of sector (median: 0.0%)
Gross Margin	91.5%	Excellent	Top 10% of sector (median: 57.0%)
Debt to Equity Ratio	165.7%	Warning	High financial leverage
P/E Ratio (Price-to-Earnings)	20.0x	Adequate	Fair value
Free Cash Flow Yield	-3.2%	Red flag	Growth-focused valuation

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Duke Energy CORP's Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)?

Duke Energy CORP (DUK) has a trailing twelve-month Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) of 5.6%. Sector median 5.4%. Source: 10-Q filed 2025-11-07.

Q: What is Duke Energy CORP's Free Cash Flow Margin?

Duke Energy CORP (DUK) has a free cash flow margin of -10.1%, generating $-3.3 billion in free cash flow over the trailing twelve months. Source: 10-Q filed 2025-11-07.

Q: What is Duke Energy CORP's P/E ratio and how does it compare to peers?

Duke Energy CORP (DUK) trades at a P/E ratio of 20.0x, which is above the sector median of N/A. EV/Sales 5.8x. Source: 10-Q filed 2025-11-07.

Q: Does Duke Energy CORP pay a dividend?

Duke Energy CORP (DUK) currently pays a dividend yield of 3.3%. Total shareholder yield (dividend + buybacks) 3.3%. Source: 10-Q filed 2025-11-07.

Q: How much debt does Duke Energy CORP have?

Duke Energy CORP (DUK) has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.7x with total debt of $90.2 billion. Net debt $88.0 billion. Source: 10-Q filed 2025-11-07.

Q: What is Duke Energy CORP's revenue and earnings growth?

Duke Energy CORP (DUK) grew revenue by 5.8% year-over-year. EPS +8.3% YoY. Source: 10-Q filed 2025-11-07.

Q: How does Duke Energy CORP compare to competitors in Utilities?

Compared to other companies in Utilities, Duke Energy CORP (DUK) shows: ROIC 5.6%, sector median 5.4% (Top 50%). FCF margin -10.1%, sector median 0.0% (Bottom 50%). Gross margin 91.5%, 34.5pp above sector median. These rankings are based on MetricDuck's analysis of all Utilities companies with available SEC filings.

Q: What warning signs should I watch for with Duke Energy CORP?

Quantitative warning flags for Duke Energy CORP (DUK): 1) FCF margin -10.1% (below 5%); 2) debt/equity 1.7x (above 1.5x threshold). Source: 10-Q filed 2025-11-07.

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Data Source: Data sourced from 10-Q filed 2025-11-07. TTM metrics as of Q1 2026.

Methodology: Financial metrics calculated from SEC 10-K and 10-Q filings using standardized formulas. Sector comparisons use peer group based on SIC code.

Scope: This analysis covers SEC filing fundamentals — profitability, cash flow, balance sheet, and valuation metrics. For analyst estimates and price targets, consult sell-side research.

This analysis is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.