Duke Energy has restored electricity to 131,059 Carolina customers following Winter Storm Fern, leaving approximately 21,976 still waiting for power as of 2 p.m. on January 26. Crews have repaired damaged equipment across North Carolina and South Carolina, where 93,609 outages were fixed in North Carolina and 37,450 in South Carolina. The company serves about 4.7 million electric customers in the Carolinas and expects to complete most repairs by the end of Tuesday, with isolated pockets—particularly around the Blue Ridge Escarpment in Hendersonville, Travelers Rest and Clemson—potentially extending into Wednesday due to challenging road conditions. Duke Energy has positioned more than 18,000 lineworkers, vegetation specialists and support staff from 27 states and Canada, and is deploying helicopters, drones and tracked equipment to accelerate damage assessments and repairs once conditions allow.

In the third quarter, Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI reduced its position in Duke Energy by 8.6%, selling 6,054 shares and holding 64,583 shares valued at $7.99 million at quarter end. This reduction contributes to a broader trend, with institutional and hedge fund ownership accounting for 65.31% of the company’s outstanding shares. Meanwhile, EVP Robert Alexander Glenn disposed of 8,200 shares in mid-November, trimming his holdings by 41.9% to 11,367 shares, signaling a notable shift in insider exposure despite Duke’s long-term operational outlook.

Equity research firms have recently adjusted Duke Energy’s outlook: Royal Bank of Canada maintained a sector-perform stance but lowered its target, while Mizuho and Scotiabank upgraded to outperform, reflecting confidence in the company’s grid modernization and renewable integration plans. Duke’s board declared a quarterly dividend of $1.065 per share, representing an annualized payout of $4.26 and a coverage ratio near 67%. Concurrently, Duke is advancing its energy transition strategy with investments in natural gas, nuclear refurbishments, solar, wind and battery storage, underpinned by a 55,100-megawatt generation portfolio and ongoing grid upgrade projects aimed at bolstering reliability and accommodating increased distributed energy resources.