By 2 p.m. on January 26, Duke Energy had restored service to 131,059 customers across North Carolina and South Carolina, leaving 21,976 still without power. Restoration crews focused first on transmission lines, substations and main distribution feeders before proceeding to smaller neighborhood circuits. In North Carolina, 93,609 outages were fixed while 10,554 remained; in South Carolina, 37,450 were restored with 11,422 still out. Road conditions in the Blue Ridge Escarpment—particularly around Hendersonville, Travelers Rest and Clemson—have hindered progress, and Duke Energy warns that some customers in those areas may not see service return until Tuesday. More than 18,000 lineworkers, vegetation specialists and support staff from 27 states and Canada are mobilized, with additional out-of-state crews on call to supplement efforts as soon as conditions allow.

In its latest SEC filing, Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI reported an 8.6% reduction in its holdings of Duke Energy shares during the third quarter, selling 6,054 shares to leave a position of 64,583 shares valued at approximately $8.0 million at quarter-end. Other notable adjustments include Legacy Investment Solutions initiating a $28,000 stake and Mascoma Wealth Management increasing its position by 53.7% to 249 shares. Meanwhile, EVP Robert Alexander Glenn sold 8,200 shares on November 19, reducing his personal holdings by nearly 42% and generating proceeds of about $1.02 million. Institutional investors now own roughly 65.3% of the company’s outstanding shares.

In its fourth-quarter report, Duke Energy posted adjusted earnings of $1.81 per share, surpassing the consensus estimate of $1.75, and reported revenue of $8.54 billion, up 4.8% year-over-year. The company’s net margin stood at 15.8% and return on equity was 9.98%. Duke Energy declared a quarterly dividend of $1.065 per share, payable on March 16 to shareholders of record as of February 13, representing an annualized payout of $4.26 and a yield of approximately 3.6%. Equity research firms remain constructive: Mizuho raised its rating to Outperform, citing ongoing grid modernization investments, while Scotiabank and Goldman Sachs lifted their price targets in recognition of stable cash flow and a supportive regulatory environment.