Morgan Stanley Retains an Equal Weight Rating on Duke Energy Corporation (DUK)

Fatima Gulzar

Thu, February 26, 2026 at 12:37 PM GMT+9 2 min read

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Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) is among the 15 Best Electric Utility Stocks to Invest In Now.

Morgan Stanley Retains an Equal Weight Rating on Duke Energy Corporation (DUK)

Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) is among the** Best Utility Stocks.**

On February 20, 2026, Morgan Stanley increased its price objective for Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) from $130 to $139 while keeping an Equal Weight rating. Morgan Stanley recently updated its price expectations for the North American Regulated and Diversified Utilities and IPPs it covers. The firm reported that utilities underperformed the S&P in January. In its Q4 earnings preview, Morgan Stanley anticipates balanced debates about data center pipelines in the face of affordability and political concerns.

On February 11, 2026, BMO Capital analyst James Thalacker boosted Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK)'s price goal to $136 from $132 while keeping an Outperform rating. BMO Capital reported a minor operational earnings beat and management’s reaffirmation of 5%-7% EPS growth through 2030, with targets for the top half of the range beginning in 2028.

On February 20, Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) announced that its nuclear fleet established a systemwide reliability record in 2025, producing power 96.9% of the time and delivering about $600 million in federal nuclear production tax credits to customers. The firm runs 11 nuclear units across six locations in the Carolinas, producing electricity for almost 8 million homes and making nuclear its primary regional generation source.

Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) distributes natural gas and provides other energy-related services. It operates in three segments: electric utilities and infrastructure, gas utilities and infrastructure, and other.

While we acknowledge the potential of DUK as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best Performing Stocks in 2025 **and **12 Best Food Stocks to Buy in 2026.

Disclosure: None. Follow Insider Monkey on Google News**.**

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