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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Utilities - Regulated Electric

Duke Energy vs FirstEnergy: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Duke Energy holds the cleaner structural position, with profitability as the main driver and stability adding further support. FirstEnergy still has the edge on growth, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. Both sides have seen trend damage — neither carries a clear market edge right now. With both trends damaged, the structural comparison carries most of the weight here.

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 2026-05-17

This is not just a one-metric split: both profitability and stability materially support the lead. 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. DUK and FE share the same industry classification.

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

Peer-Relative Score
DUK
Duke Energy Corporation
67
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
FE
FirstEnergy Corp.
49
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

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: DUK vs FE Profitability 47 15 Stability 81 57 Valuation 80 58 Growth 66 79 DUK FE
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +32
#2 Stability +24
#3 Valuation +22
#4 Growth +13
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for DUK and FE Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer DUKFE 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.

Entry today — historical context

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

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY DUK Elevated · below norm 0th 50th 100th 4 pct gap FE Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 92nd 88th
DUK (92nd percentile) and FE (88th 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
Profitability
Duke Energy Corporation sits higher in the group on profitability, adding to the overall structural advantage.
Stability
Both profiles are strong on stability, but Duke Energy Corporation leads clearly.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
DUK
47
FE
15
Gap+32in favour of DUK

The profitability gap is wide, with the stronger side earning materially better operating marks.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

FirstEnergy Corp. still shows lower market-fundamental divergence, which keeps the wider picture mixed rather than completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

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

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

Explore full breakdown →
Similar profitability-and-stability comparisons

Explore how DUK and FE 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.