Duke Energy (DUK) closed the most recent trading day at $108.31, moving -0.61% from the previous trading session. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily loss of 0.04%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.07%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.05%.

The the stock of electric utility has fallen by 7.2% in the past month, lagging the Utilities sector's loss of 6.13% and the S&P 500's gain of 1.05%.

Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Duke Energy in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $1.69, indicating a 11.92% growth compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $7.73 billion, up 7.23% from the year-ago period.

Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of $5.95 per share and revenue of $30.58 billion, indicating changes of +7.01% and +5.24%, respectively, compared to the previous year.

Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for Duke Energy. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the company's business performance and profit potential.

Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 0.36% downward. Duke Energy is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Looking at valuation, Duke Energy is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 18.33. This signifies a premium in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 16.55 for its industry.

Also, we should mention that DUK has a PEG ratio of 2.88. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. The average PEG ratio for the Utility - Electric Power industry stood at 2.66 at the close of the market yesterday.

The Utility - Electric Power industry is part of the Utilities sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 78, positioning it in the top 32% of all 250+ industries.

The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.

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