Is Duke Energy (DUK) One of the Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy for Dividends?

With an annual dividend yield of 3.41%, Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) is included among the 12 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy for Dividends.

Is Duke Energy (DUK) One of the Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy for Dividends?

Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) engages in the distribution of natural gas and energy-related services. The company owns and operates a diverse mix of regulated power plants – including hydro, nuclear, solar, battery storage, etc.

On June 11, Barclays analyst Nicholas Campanella lowered the firm’s price target on Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) from $143 to $134, but kept its ‘Overweight’ rating on the shares. The revised target, which still represents an upside of over 8% from the current share price, comes after the analyst had a meeting with the company’s management.

Barclays believes that Duke’s 15 GW data center pipeline is “vetted and executable”. The utility signed 2.7 GW of ESAs with data center customers in the first quarter, bringing its total executed agreements to approximately 7.6 GW. Duke is targeting 6-7 GWs of signed contracts this year.

Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) revealed in its Q1 earnings call that it remains on track to achieve its 2026 earnings guidance range of $6.55 to $6.80 per share. Moreover, the company reaffirmed its long-term target to deliver an EPS growth rate 5% to 7% through 2030.

While we acknowledge the risk and potential of DUK as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than DUK and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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