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DUK vs PNW
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Duke Energy (DUK) vs. Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- DUK and PNW are both regulated electric utilities, with DUK operating primarily in the southeastern U.S. and PNW focused on Arizona through its Arizona Public Service subsidiary.
- Year-to-date through late July 2026, PNW delivered stronger total returns compared with DUK, though both lagged broader market benchmarks over the trailing 12 months.
- DUK trades near the middle of its 52-week range with upcoming second-quarter earnings, while PNW has shown resilience after reaching a multi-month high in early July.
- Both companies benefit from steady demand growth and regulatory rate-base expansion, though geographic and customer-mix differences create distinct risk and growth profiles.
- Market sentiment for utilities remains influenced by interest-rate expectations and large-load demand from data centers and electrification trends in recent weeks.
- Relative valuation and dividend stability position both stocks as defensive holdings, with trade-offs in scale, payout ratios, and regional economic drivers.
Introduction
Utility stocks such as DUK and PNW attract income-oriented investors and those seeking defensive exposure during periods of market volatility. This comparison examines their recent price behavior, business fundamentals, and relative positioning within the regulated utilities sector. Traders and portfolio managers evaluating sector allocation, dividend sustainability, or defensive tilts may find the analysis relevant for understanding how differences in geography, regulatory environments, and growth catalysts affect performance in the current environment.
DUK Overview and Recent Performance
Duke Energy Corporation is one of the largest regulated utilities in the United States, serving customers across the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest through electric and natural gas operations. In recent market activity, DUK shares have traded in a relatively narrow range around the mid-$120s, closing at $125.43 on July 31, 2026. Year-to-date returns reached approximately 8.86 percent, while the 52-week range spanned $113.90 to $134.49. Sentiment has been supported by visibility into earnings growth and expanding demand from large-load customers, tempered by modest pullbacks from spring highs amid broader sector rotation.
PNW Overview and Recent Performance
Pinnacle West Capital Corporation is the holding company for Arizona Public Service, the largest electric utility in Arizona. PNW shares closed at $100.99 on July 31, 2026, within a 52-week range of $85.32 to $111.16. Year-to-date performance through late July showed gains near 16 percent, outpacing DUK on a relative basis. Recent weeks reflected resilience following an early-July peak above $109, with first-quarter 2026 results demonstrating earnings beats and ongoing customer-growth momentum in the state’s expanding economy.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
DUK operates at significantly larger scale with a broader geographic footprint, offering greater diversification across multiple regulatory jurisdictions compared with PNW’s concentrated Arizona exposure. Growth drivers for both include rate-base investments and rising electricity demand, yet PNW benefits more directly from Arizona’s population and economic expansion while DUK draws additional support from data-center and industrial loads in the Southeast. Recent momentum favored PNW on a year-to-date basis, though DUK maintains a longer track record of dividend consistency and balance-sheet stability. Risk factors differ by region, with PNW more sensitive to southwestern water and climate considerations and DUK exposed to hurricane and regulatory variability across states. Market sentiment for both remains tied to interest-rate trajectories and sector rotation patterns observed in recent weeks.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors such as trend consistency, earnings visibility, and relative positioning within the utilities sector, Tickeron’s AI models currently assign a modestly higher probabilistic preference to DUK for its scale-driven stability and diversified regulatory base, while recognizing PNW’s stronger recent momentum and regional growth tailwinds as competitive attributes.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
Disclaimers and LimitationsTo compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is DUK is a Hold and PNW is a Buy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
DUK’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green whilePNW’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s).
- DUK’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- PNW’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
DUK’s TA Score shows that 3 TA indicator(s) are bullish while PNW’s TA Score has 5 bullish TA indicator(s).
- DUK’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 6 bearish.
- PNW’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
DUK (@Electric Utilities) experienced а +0.12% price change this week, while PNW (@Electric Utilities) price change was -1.08% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Electric Utilities industry was +0.16%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -3.23%, and the average quarterly price growth was -3.24%.
Reported Earning Dates
DUK is expected to report earnings on Oct 29, 2026.
PNW is expected to report earnings on Oct 30, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Electric Utilities (+0.16% weekly)Electric utilities companies generate, transmit and distribute electricity to businesses/offices and residences. Companies may be owned by the government or investors or public shareholders, or a combination thereof. The industry also includes firms that buy and sell electricity. Companies in this industry typically require significant investments in infrastructure. Many firms in this industry pay substantial and regular dividends to shareholders. However, changes in interest rates (and their impact on debt burdens), natural disasters and changing commodity prices could be factors affecting energy utilities’ profit margins. NextEra Energy, Inc., Duke Energy Corporation, Dominion Energy Inc. and Southern Company are among U.S. electric utilities companies with the largest market capitalizations.
| DUK | PNW | DUK / PNW | |
| Capitalization | 96.3B | 12.2B | 789% |
| EBITDA | 17.6B | 2.2B | 799% |
| Gain YTD | 7.173 | 16.364 | 44% |
| P/E Ratio | 18.60 | 19.27 | 97% |
| Revenue | 33.2B | 5.46B | 608% |
| Total Cash | 2.14B | N/A | - |
| Total Debt | 91.2B | 15.1B | 604% |
DUK | PNW | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 68 | 9 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 36 Fair valued | 67 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 32 | 27 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 72 | 74 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 58 | 56 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 60 | 48 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 75 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
DUK's Valuation (36) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as PNW (67). This means that DUK’s stock grew similarly to PNW’s over the last 12 months.
PNW's Profit vs Risk Rating (27) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as DUK (32). This means that PNW’s stock grew similarly to DUK’s over the last 12 months.
DUK's SMR Rating (72) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as PNW (74). This means that DUK’s stock grew similarly to PNW’s over the last 12 months.
PNW's Price Growth Rating (56) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as DUK (58). This means that PNW’s stock grew similarly to DUK’s over the last 12 months.
PNW's P/E Growth Rating (48) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as DUK (60). This means that PNW’s stock grew similarly to DUK’s over the last 12 months.
| DUK | PNW | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | N/A | 2 days ago 53% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 53% | 2 days ago 64% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 34% | 2 days ago 41% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 39% | 2 days ago 38% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 49% | 2 days ago 44% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 37% | 2 days ago 39% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 51% | 2 days ago 54% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 9 days ago 41% | 14 days ago 46% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 35% | 2 days ago 51% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 46% | 2 days ago 48% |
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DUK and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, DUK has been closely correlated with SO. These tickers have moved in lockstep 84% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if DUK jumps, then SO could also see price increases.
PNW and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, PNW has been closely correlated with LNT. These tickers have moved in lockstep 83% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if PNW jumps, then LNT could also see price increases.