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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 surging data-center electricity demand.
- Duke Energy is meaningfully larger by market capitalization and carries a substantially bigger pipeline of contracted data-center load.
- WEC Energy Group guides to faster long-term earnings-per-share (EPS) growth and has a longer consecutive dividend-increase streak.
- Both stocks have recently delivered earnings beats, but their relative performance versus the broader utility sector has diverged.
- Duke leans on nuclear and Southeast demand, while WEC is concentrated in the Midwest and tied closely to a few very large customers.
Introduction
Utilities have moved from a sleepy, income-oriented corner of the market to a central player in the artificial-intelligence and electrification theme, making this a timely moment for a direct stock comparison. DUK, Duke Energy, and WEC, WEC Energy Group, are two of the most closely watched regulated power names, and both are navigating an unusual combination of rising capital spending, evolving rate regulation, and explosive demand from large power users. This comparison is relevant for income-focused investors seeking steady dividends, as well as growth-oriented traders evaluating which utility offers the more compelling risk-adjusted market positioning in the current environment.
DUK Overview and Recent Performance
Duke Energy (DUK) is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based energy holding company serving roughly 8.4 million electric and gas customers across the Southeast and Midwest. It operates the largest regulated nuclear fleet in the nation, which has become a focal point as data-center developers seek around-the-clock, carbon-free power. In recent market activity, Duke has generally traded near the upper end of its multi-month range, though it has lagged the broader utilities sector over the trailing 12 months.
Recent fundamentals have been constructive. The company beat consensus EPS estimates in its most recent quarters and has affirmed full-year adjusted EPS guidance of roughly $6.55 to $6.80, with a long-term EPS growth target of 5% to 7% through 2030. Sentiment has been supported by its data-center momentum: Duke has signed electric service agreements for approximately 7.6 gigawatts (GW, a unit equal to enough power for about 750,000 U.S. homes) of new data-center demand, with a late-stage pipeline of roughly 15.4 GW. Balance-sheet moves, including a minority investment in Duke Energy Florida and the sale of a Tennessee gas business, have also reinforced its credit profile and funding capacity.
WEC Overview and Recent Performance
WEC Energy Group (WEC) is a Milwaukee-based holding company serving about 4.8 million customers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota. It is a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 component with a diversified mix of regulated utilities and nonregulated renewable generation. In recent weeks, the stock has drifted modestly lower over short- and medium-term windows even as the company has delivered solid results, reflecting investor scrutiny of its sizable capital plan and financing needs.
Operationally, WEC has outperformed consensus in its recent quarters and reaffirmed full-year EPS guidance of $5.51 to $5.61. Management targets 7% to 8% compound annual EPS growth from 2026 through 2030, supported by a $37.5 billion five-year capital plan. Data-center demand is a key driver: Microsoft's Pleasant Prairie development and the Vantage Data Centers site for Oracle represent roughly 2.6 GW and up to 3.5 GW of potential load, respectively. WEC also raised its dividend by 6.7% in early 2026, marking 23 consecutive years of increases, while the approval of its "very large customer" tariff has strengthened the regulatory framework underpinning that growth.
Trending AI Robots
Tickeron's Trending AI Robots page curates a focused selection from a broader ecosystem of hundreds of AI trading bots that collectively trade thousands of different tickers, including utilities like DUK and WEC. Only the bots best suited to current market conditions earn placement in this section. The available robots span a wide range of trading styles, timeframes, strategies, and performance statistics, with some designed for short-term momentum and others built for longer-horizon trend following, and each tracks its own set of tickers. This variety lets traders match a bot's approach to their own objectives and risk tolerance. Explore the Trending AI Robots page to review the currently featured strategies and their live statistics.
Head-to-Head Comparison
The two companies share a regulated-utility business model but differ sharply in scale and growth profile. Duke Energy is the larger enterprise, with a market capitalization near $100 billion versus a substantially smaller footprint at WEC, and it holds a considerably larger contracted data-center load pipeline. That scale gives Duke broader geographic diversification, but it also means its percentage growth rate is more modest. WEC, by contrast, offers a faster projected EPS growth trajectory (7% to 8% versus 5% to 7%) tied more tightly to a concentrated cluster of very large customers in Wisconsin.
Risk profiles also diverge. Duke's Southeast service territories have experienced some of the strongest load growth in the country, but the company faces ongoing rate-case activity and winter-storm cost recovery efforts. WEC's Midwest concentration means its data-center thesis depends heavily on a handful of hyperscale customers, with regulatory litigation and financing pressure — including roughly $1.1 billion in planned 2026 equity issuance — among the key watch items. On income, WEC holds the longer dividend-increase streak at 23 consecutive years, while Duke offers an attractive yield backed by a 14-year growth record. From a momentum standpoint, Duke's relative performance has been steadier in recent months, while WEC has faced short-term price fatigue despite repeated guidance reaffirmations.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable trend consistency, relative positioning, and near-term catalysts, Tickeron's AI would likely lean toward DUK in the current market environment. Duke Energy currently presents a more balanced combination of steady relative performance, a diversified and larger contracted data-center backlog, and constructive balance-sheet actions, which together support a more consistent trend profile. WEC offers a compelling faster-growth story and a superior dividend-growth track record, but its near-term price softness and financing overhang introduce comparatively more uncertainty. This assessment is probabilistic rather than definitive and reflects current conditions rather than a long-term recommendation.
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 Hold and WEC is a StrongBuy.
DUK | WEC | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 70 | 8 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 29 Undervalued | 42 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 42 | 53 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 70 | 63 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 60 | 60 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 58 | 50 | |
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 (29) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as WEC (42). This means that DUK’s stock grew similarly to WEC’s over the last 12 months.
DUK's Profit vs Risk Rating (42) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as WEC (53). 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 (60) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as DUK (60). This means that WEC’s stock grew similarly to DUK’s over the last 12 months.
WEC's P/E Growth Rating (50) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as DUK (58). This means that WEC’s stock grew similarly to DUK’s over the last 12 months.
| DUK | WEC | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 39% | 2 days ago 62% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 50% | 2 days ago 49% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 38% | 4 days ago 47% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 50% | 2 days ago 40% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 39% | 2 days ago 41% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 39% | 2 days ago 39% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 50% | N/A |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 8 days ago 40% | 8 days ago 41% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 61% | 2 days ago 53% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 28% | 2 days ago 28% |
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 0 green FA rating(s).
- DUK’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- WEC’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 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 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while WEC’s TA Score has 3 bullish TA indicator(s).
- DUK’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 5 bearish.
- WEC’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
DUK (@Electric Utilities) experienced а -0.14% price change this week, while WEC (@Electric Utilities) price change was -0.39% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Electric Utilities industry was +0.21%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -6.25%, and the average quarterly price growth was -12.97%.
Reported Earning Dates
DUK is expected to report earnings on Oct 29, 2026.
WEC is expected to report earnings on Nov 03, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Electric Utilities (+0.21% 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 86% 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.