Home Compare AEP vs DUK
Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Utilities - Regulated Electric

American Electric Power Company vs Duke Energy: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Duke Energy holds the cleaner structural position, with valuation as the main driver and stability adding further support. American Electric Power Company still has the edge on profitability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-08-16

Most of the separation is still concentrated in valuation. The overall score gap is 18 points in favour of Duke Energy Corporation.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Utilities - Regulated Electric

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. AEP and DUK share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how AEP and Duke Energy each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
AEP
American Electric Power Company, Inc.
47
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
DUK
Duke Energy Corporation
65
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

Pricing shapes this comparison more than a broad operating gap.

Dimension spread: AEP vs DUK Profitability 76 57 Stability 55 75 Valuation 15 83 Growth 42 42 AEP DUK
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +68
#2 Stability +20
#3 Profitability +19
#4 Growth
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for AEP and DUK Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer AEPDUK Relative valuation Structural strength

The two profiles are relatively close, but the price setup still leans toward Duke Energy Corporation.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where AEP and DUK each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY AEP Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 1 pct gap DUK Elevated · below norm 0th 50th 100th 91st 92nd
AEP (91st percentile) and DUK (92nd percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Valuation
On valuation, Duke Energy Corporation ranks near the top of the group; American Electric Power Company, Inc. sits in the weaker half.
Stability
On stability, the edge still sits with Duke Energy Corporation, even though both profiles look solid.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
AEP
15
DUK
83
Gap+68in favour of DUK

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a trailing P/E that is 90 turns lower.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

American Electric Power Company, Inc. still shows lower market-fundamental divergence, which keeps the wider picture mixed rather than completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

Valuation is the clearest driver of the lead, with stability adding further support — though profitability still provides a real counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the AEP vs DUK comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar valuation-driven comparisons

Explore how AEP and DUK each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.