Is DUK or XEL cheaper?

On trailing earnings, DUK is cheaper: DUK trades at a 19.14 P/E and XEL at 22.63.

Which has grown faster, DUK or XEL?

Over the past five years, DUK grew revenue faster — DUK at a 6.70% CAGR versus XEL at 3.82%.

Does DUK or XEL pay a bigger dividend?

DUK yields 3.41% and XEL yields 2.19% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is DUK or XEL more profitable?

DUK runs the higher net margin — DUK at 15.44% versus XEL at 14.14%.

Which has been the better investment, DUK or XEL?

Over the past 10-year, XEL delivered the higher annualized total return — DUK at 8.73% versus XEL at 9.68%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) vs Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL)

DUK leads on 15 of 15 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Duke Energy Corporation and Xcel Energy Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 14, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

DUK

Duke Energy Corporation

Total return — DUK vs XEL

growth of $100 · last 30y

DUK +192.0%XEL +243.5%XEL compounded faster

DUK XEL

DUK vs XEL: by the numbers

•DUK is the larger company ($97.43B vs $49.45B market cap).
•DUK trades at the lower earnings multiple (19.14 vs 22.63 P/E).
•DUK converts more revenue to profit (15.44% vs 14.14% net margin).
•DUK grew revenue faster over the past five years (6.70% vs 3.82% CAGR).
•DUK pays the higher dividend yield (3.41% vs 2.19%).

Which is better, DUK or XEL?

Metric tally: DUK 15 · XEL 0

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueDUK(lower P/E)

GrowthDUK(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeDUK(higher dividend yield)

QualityDUK(higher ROIC)

Valuation

Metric	DUK	XEL
P/E ratio	19.14●	22.63
Forward P/E	17.43	17.45
P/S ratio	2.92●	3.35
P/B ratio	1.79●	2.08
PEG ratio	1.74●	5.39
EV / EBITDA	11.62●	14.00
FCF yield	6.78%	—

Profitability

Metric	DUK	XEL
Gross margin	58.41%●	18.91%
Operating margin	26.98%●	19.85%
Net margin	15.44%●	14.14%
ROE	9.44%●	8.78%
ROIC	4.13%●	3.77%

Dividends

Metric	DUK	XEL
Dividend yield	3.41%●	2.19%
Payout ratio	67.51%	50.36%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	DUK	XEL
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.70%●	3.82%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	29.69%●	4.20%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	131.21%●	-15.80%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	8.25%●	5.94%

Frequently asked

Which is better, DUK or XEL?: It depends on your goal. value: DUK (lower P/E); growth: DUK (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: DUK (higher dividend yield); quality: DUK (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, DUK leads 15 to 0.
Is DUK or XEL cheaper?: On trailing earnings, DUK is cheaper: DUK trades at a 19.14 P/E and XEL at 22.63.
Which has grown faster, DUK or XEL?: Over the past five years, DUK grew revenue faster — DUK at a 6.70% CAGR versus XEL at 3.82%.
Does DUK or XEL pay a bigger dividend?: DUK yields 3.41% and XEL yields 2.19% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is DUK or XEL more profitable?: DUK runs the higher net margin — DUK at 15.44% versus XEL at 14.14%.
Which has been the better investment, DUK or XEL?: Over the past 10-year, XEL delivered the higher annualized total return — DUK at 8.73% versus XEL at 9.68%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full DUK analysis Full XEL analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Duke Energy P/E ratio Xcel Energy P/E ratio Duke Energy dividend yield Xcel Energy dividend yield Duke Energy ROE Xcel Energy ROE Duke Energy operating margin Xcel Energy operating margin Duke Energy revenue growth Xcel Energy revenue growth Duke Energy free cash flow Xcel Energy free cash flow

Duke Energy & Xcel Energy appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 14, 2026.