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Stock Comparison · Structural lead, mixed market

American Water Works Company vs Duke Energy: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Duke Energy holds the cleaner structural position, with stability as the main driver and valuation adding further support. American Water Works Company still has the edge on profitability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup broadly confirms the structural lead — Duke Energy holds the more constructive position. That puts structure and market broadly in agreement — Duke Energy's lead looks more confirmed than conflicted.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels.

Updated 2026-04-05

The comparison is mainly decided in stability, with the rest of the profile carrying less weight. Duke Energy Corporation leads by 14 points on the overall comparison score.

Trajectory Similarity
0.82
Similar
Peer-set rank: #7
within American Water Works Company, Inc.'s functional peer set

These two companies are linked by measured long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

A solid similarity means the pair shares a clearly comparable long-term financial profile, even if individual dimensions still differ.

The match is driven mainly by margin consistency and revenue stability.

Similarity drivers
margin consistencyrevenue stability
What reduces the match
investment intensity
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
AWK
American Water Works Company, Inc.
48
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
vs
DUK
Duke Energy Corporation
62
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium

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

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: AWK vs DUK Profitability 61 51 Stability 20 77 Valuation 62 76 Growth 34 42 AWK DUK
Gap Ranking
#1 Stability +57
#2 Valuation +14
#3 Profitability +10
#4 Growth +8
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for AWK and DUK Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer AWKDUK Relative valuation Structural strength

Duke Energy Corporation looks stronger both structurally and on relative valuation.

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

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Stability
On stability, Duke Energy Corporation ranks near the top of the group; American Water Works Company, Inc. sits in the weaker half.
Valuation
On valuation, the same pattern holds: both rank well, but Duke Energy Corporation still sits higher.
Stability — Dominant Gap
AWK
20
DUK
77
Gap+57in favour of DUK

The clearest distance comes from a steadier profile over time.

What else supports the lead

Volatility exposure is also lower for Duke Energy Corporation, which gives the lead a steadier footing.

What this means for the comparison

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

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

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Similar stability-driven comparisons

Explore how AWK 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.

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.