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DUK vs WEC
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Duke Energy (DUK) vs. WEC Energy Group (WEC) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Both DUK and WEC are large regulated electric and gas utilities benefiting from a surge in electricity demand tied to data centers and electrification.
- Tickeron AI Verdict: WEC currently holds the edge over DUK on relative momentum, guidance momentum, and long-term earnings-growth visibility.
- WEC Energy Group recently raised and narrowed its 2026 guidance and outlined a larger long-term growth range, while Duke Energy has maintained a steadier, execution-focused framework.
- Duke Energy carries a larger geographic footprint and a bigger data-center backlog, but its near-term share-price momentum has been more muted in recent weeks.
- Both names are dividend-paying utilities, making this comparison especially relevant to income-oriented and defensive investors.
- For more detail on news and daily price action, explore DUK Major News, DUK Today's Price Move, WEC Major News, and WEC Today's Price Move.
- To see how automated strategies are positioning across the market, explore Trending AI Robots.
Introduction
Duke Energy and WEC Energy Group are two of the largest regulated utilities in the United States, yet they operate in very different regions and growth settings. This stock comparison is relevant to investors seeking defensive, dividend-paying equities as well as traders watching how surging data-center electricity demand is reshaping the utility sector. Both companies have posted solid recent results, but their relative performance and market positioning have diverged in meaningful ways. Understanding those contrasts — from capital plans and customer mix to momentum and sentiment — can help readers assess which name may be better aligned with the current market environment.
DUK Overview and Recent Performance
DUK, or Duke Energy, is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based regulated utility serving roughly 8 million electric customers and 1.6 million gas customers across the Carolinas, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. Recent quarters have highlighted a growth narrative centered on contracted data-center demand: management has reported securing multiple gigawatts of electric service agreements while describing a much larger late-stage pipeline of potential load. The company has reaffirmed a multi-year earnings framework and an adjusted earnings-per-share (EPS) growth range of roughly 5% to 7% through 2030.
On the price side, DUK has been relatively range-bound in recent weeks, with shares lagging the broader market following its latest earnings report. Analyst views remain generally constructive — the consensus rating sits near "Buy" with an average price target modestly above recent levels — though several firms have maintained Hold ratings. Key influences on sentiment include rate-case and regulatory outcomes, affordability safeguards for existing customers, and the pace at which data-center agreements convert into revenue. A notable dividend yield and defensive cash-flow profile continue to anchor its appeal.
WEC Overview and Recent Performance
WEC, or WEC Energy Group, is a Milwaukee-based utility serving about 4 million electric and gas customers across Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota. Its recent performance has been shaped by large-load growth in southeastern Wisconsin, where data-center development — including a Microsoft campus and a Vantage Data Centers project tied to Oracle — is expanding meaningfully. The company has reported stronger year-over-year earnings, raised and narrowed its full-year guidance, and outlined an expanded multi-year capital plan.
In recent market activity, WEC has shown firmer momentum than many utility peers, supported by earnings beats and several analyst price-target increases following its latest update. Management has also raised its long-term EPS growth expectation, now framing growth toward the upper single digits through the early 2030s. Sentiment has been reinforced by the company's long record of consecutive quarterly dividend payments. The main watch items include regulatory timing, transmission-project approvals, and execution on large-customer infrastructure, where customer-backed tariffs help offset risk to existing ratepayers.
Trending AI Robots
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Head-to-Head Comparison
The two companies share a regulated utility business model but differ in scale and growth drivers. DUK offers a larger customer base, a broader multi-state footprint, and a substantial data-center backlog concentrated in the Southeast, particularly Florida and Indiana. Its growth framework, however, skews toward steady mid-single-digit EPS expansion, and its recent relative performance has been more subdued. WEC is smaller by market capitalization and customer count, yet its growth rate targets the upper single digits, driven by concentrated large-load demand in Wisconsin.
On risk, DUK faces a heavier capital-raise burden given its larger balance sheet and big buildout, whereas WEC has emphasized keeping incremental equity needs modest by using customer-backed tariffs and construction-period cash returns. Sector exposure is similar — both are regulated utilities sensitive to interest rates, weather, and regulatory cycles — but WEC's momentum and guidance trajectory have recently been firmer, while DUK's appeal rests more on scale and a defensive, diversified service territory.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors including trend consistency, guidance momentum, catalyst density, and relative positioning, Tickeron's AI would currently lean toward WEC over DUK. The reasoning is probabilistic rather than definitive: WEC has combined a fresh earnings beat, an upward revision to full-year guidance, an expanded capital plan, and a higher long-term growth target with firmer recent share-price momentum and multiple analyst target increases. Duke Energy presents a credible, larger-scale growth story, but its steadier, execution-first posture and more muted near-term momentum place it slightly behind in this head-to-head assessment. As always, relative positioning can shift quickly with new regulatory or earnings developments.
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.
To 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 Buy and WEC is a Buy.
DUK in upward trend: 10-day moving average crossed above 50-day moving average on October 21, 2026
The 10-day moving average for DUK crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on October 21, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 14 of 18 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 78%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 07, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on DUK as a result. In 55 of 98 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 56%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for DUK just turned positive on October 06, 2026. Looking at past instances where DUK's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 28 of 46 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 61%.
DUK moved above its 50-day moving average on October 16, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
Following a +2.82% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where DUK advanced for three days, in 170 of 335 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 51%.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 147 of 300 cases where DUK Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 49%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The 10-day RSI Indicator for DUK moved out of overbought territory on November 06, 2026. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 31 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In 11 of the 31 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at 35%.
The Stochastic Oscillator may be shifting from an upward trend to a downward trend. In 22 of 67 cases where DUK's Stochastic Oscillator exited the overbought zone, the price fell further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 33%.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where DUK declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 41%.
DUK broke above its upper Bollinger Band on October 22, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 19 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 49, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 39 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. DUK’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 50 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 54 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (1.853) is normal, around the industry mean (2.019). P/E Ratio (19.186) is within average values for comparable stocks, (14.939). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (2.112) is also within normal values, averaging (1.785). Dividend Yield (0.034) settles around the average of (0.054) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (2.756) is also within normal values, averaging (187.392).
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 54 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to consistent earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 70 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating weak sales and an unprofitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
WEC's MACD Histogram crosses above signal line
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for WEC turned positive on October 02, 2026. Looking at past instances where WEC's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 27 of 44 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 61%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 06, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on WEC as a result. In 44 of 88 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 50%.
WEC moved above its 50-day moving average on October 13, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
The 10-day moving average for WEC crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on October 20, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 7 of 14 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 50%.
Following a +2.53% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where WEC advanced for three days, in 151 of 315 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 48%.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 109 of 258 cases where WEC Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 42%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The 10-day RSI Indicator for WEC moved out of overbought territory on November 06, 2026. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 35 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In 15 of the 35 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at 43%.
The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the overbought zone for 22 days. The longer the ticker stays in the overbought zone, the sooner a price pull-back is expected.
WEC broke above its upper Bollinger Band on October 29, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 23 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 49, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 35 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. WEC’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 38 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to consistent earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 63 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 70 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is slightly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (2.671) is normal, around the industry mean (2.019). P/E Ratio (22.326) is within average values for comparable stocks, (14.939). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (1.992) is also within normal values, averaging (1.785). Dividend Yield (0.033) settles around the average of (0.054) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (3.342) is also within normal values, averaging (187.392).
DUK | WEC | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 50 | 50 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 54 Fair valued | 70 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 19 | 23 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 70 | 63 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 39 | 35 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 54 | 38 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 |
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 (54) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as WEC (70). This means that DUK’s stock grew similarly to WEC’s over the last 12 months.
DUK's Profit vs Risk Rating (19) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as WEC (23). This means that DUK’s stock grew similarly to WEC’s over the last 12 months.
WEC's SMR Rating (63) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as DUK (70). This means that WEC’s stock grew similarly to DUK’s over the last 12 months.
WEC's Price Growth Rating (35) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as DUK (39). This means that WEC’s stock grew similarly to DUK’s over the last 12 months.
WEC's P/E Growth Rating (38) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as DUK (54). This means that WEC’s stock grew similarly to DUK’s over the last 12 months.
| DUK | WEC | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 35% | 4 days ago 43% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 33% | 4 days ago 50% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 56% | 5 days ago 50% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 61% | 7 days ago 61% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 50% | 4 days ago 43% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 49% | 4 days ago 46% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 51% | 5 days ago 48% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 15 days ago 41% | N/A |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 38% | 4 days ago 41% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 49% | 4 days ago 42% |
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 overvalued. 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 while WEC’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s).
- DUK’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- WEC’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 6 TA indicator(s) are bullish while WEC’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s).
- DUK’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
- WEC’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 3 bearish.
Price Growth
DUK (@Electric Utilities) experienced а +0.31% price change this week, while WEC (@Electric Utilities) price change was -0.17% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Electric Utilities industry was +1.75%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +2.82%, and the average quarterly price growth was -5.23%.
Reported Earning Dates
DUK is expected to report earnings on Feb 11, 2027.
WEC is expected to report earnings on Feb 04, 2027.
Industries' Descriptions
@Electric Utilities (+1.75% 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.
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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 85% 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.
WEC and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, WEC has been closely correlated with AEE. These tickers have moved in lockstep 87% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if WEC jumps, then AEE could also see price increases.