Seek Returns

AEE vs. DUK: Ameren vs. Duke Energy Stock Comparison

How do Ameren (AEE) and Duke Energy (DUK) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Ameren (AEE) and Duke Energy (DUK) both fall under the Utilities industry group, but AEE is classified in Multi-Utilities while DUK is classified in Electric Utilities.

Company profile comparison for Ameren (AEE) and Duke Energy (DUK)
Profile ItemAEEDUK
NameAmeren CorporationDuke Energy Corporation
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorUtilitiesUtilities
GICS Industry GroupUtilitiesUtilities
GICS IndustryMulti-UtilitiesElectric Utilities
GICS Sub-IndustryMulti-UtilitiesElectric Utilities
Market Capitalization31.24 billion USD99.63 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateJanuary 2, 1998March 17, 1980
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

AEE
DUK
GSPC
Loading price history…
Ameren (AEE) vs. Duke Energy (DUK), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

Loading price history…
Trailing total returns for Ameren (AEE) and Duke Energy (DUK). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

Loading price history…
Calendar-year total returns for Ameren (AEE) and Duke Energy (DUK). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Ameren (AEE) and Duke Energy (DUK)
MetricAEEDUK
Total Return (1Y)11.92%7.39%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)17.94%17.76%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)9.71%8.82%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

AEE
DUK
GSPC
Loading price history…
Ameren (AEE) vs. Duke Energy (DUK), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

Loading price history…
Distribution of monthly total returns for Ameren (AEE) and Duke Energy (DUK). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Ameren (AEE) and Duke Energy (DUK)
MetricAEEDUK
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)17.76%17.00%
Beta (5Y)0.400.32
Max Drawdown (5Y)-27.46%-24.16%
Avg. Volume (3M)1.74M4.11M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Loading chart…
AEE and DUK are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Ameren (AEE) and Duke Energy (DUK)
MetricAEEDUK
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.430.18
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.620.27

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Ameren (AEE) at 11.78% and Duke Energy (DUK) at 10.10% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

AEE

Utilities industry group

11.78%

Max
17.99%
Q3
12.01%
AEE
11.78%
Median
9.44%
Q1
7.56%
Min
2.17%

DUK

Utilities industry group

10.10%

Max
17.99%
Q3
12.01%
DUK
10.10%
Median
9.44%
Q1
7.56%
Min
2.17%
Loading chart…
Ameren (AEE) vs. Duke Energy (DUK): A comparison of their ROE against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Ameren (AEE) at 18.59% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Duke Energy (DUK) at 16.16%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

AEE

Utilities industry group

18.59%

Max
28.78%
AEE
18.59%
Q3
17.30%
Median
12.73%
Q1
9.18%
Min
-0.20%

DUK

Utilities industry group

16.16%

Max
28.78%
Q3
17.30%
DUK
16.16%
Median
12.73%
Q1
9.18%
Min
-0.20%
Loading chart…
Ameren (AEE) vs. Duke Energy (DUK): A comparison of their net margin against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Ameren (AEE) at 31.23% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Duke Energy (DUK) at 30.03%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

AEE

Utilities industry group

31.23%

Max
53.83%
AEE
31.23%
Q3
31.12%
Median
23.62%
Q1
15.45%
Min
-4.90%

DUK

Utilities industry group

30.03%

Max
53.83%
Q3
31.12%
DUK
30.03%
Median
23.62%
Q1
15.45%
Min
-4.90%
Loading chart…
Ameren (AEE) vs. Duke Energy (DUK): A comparison of their operating margin against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Ameren (AEE) and Duke Energy (DUK)
MetricAEEDUK
ROE (TTM)11.78%10.10%
ROA (TTM)3.12%2.92%
Net Margin (TTM)18.59%16.16%
Operating Margin (TTM)31.23%30.03%
Gross Margin (TTM)52.47%52.58%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Ameren (AEE) at 15.43% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Duke Energy (DUK) at 6.19% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for AEE.

Loading chart…
Ameren (AEE) vs. Duke Energy (DUK): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Ameren (AEE) at 21.04% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Duke Energy (DUK) at 10.51% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for AEE.

Loading chart…
Ameren (AEE) vs. Duke Energy (DUK): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Ameren (AEE) and Duke Energy (DUK)
MetricAEEDUK
Revenue Growth (YoY)15.43%6.19%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)3.41%3.87%
EPS Growth (YoY)21.04%10.51%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)8.92%23.75%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Ameren (AEE) at 0.74 and Duke Energy (DUK) at 0.68 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.

AEE

Utilities industry group

0.74

Max
1.90
Q3
1.17
Median
0.88
AEE
0.74
Q1
0.66
Min
0.29

DUK

Utilities industry group

0.68

Max
1.90
Q3
1.17
Median
0.88
DUK
0.68
Q1
0.66
Min
0.29
Loading chart…
Ameren (AEE) vs. Duke Energy (DUK): A comparison of their current ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Ameren (AEE) at 1.57 and Duke Energy (DUK) at 1.63 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

AEE

Utilities industry group

1.57

Max
2.63
Q3
1.77
AEE
1.57
Median
1.35
Q1
0.84
Min
0.00

DUK

Utilities industry group

1.63

Max
2.63
Q3
1.77
DUK
1.63
Median
1.35
Q1
0.84
Min
0.00
Loading chart…
Ameren (AEE) vs. Duke Energy (DUK): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Ameren (AEE) and Duke Energy (DUK)
MetricAEEDUK
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.740.68
Debt / Equity (MRQ)1.571.63
Net Debt / EBITDA5.555.38

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Duke Energy (DUK) at 3.29% pays a yield in its industry’s typical range, while Ameren (AEE) at 0.63% falls in the bottom quartile of its peers.

AEE

Utilities industry group

0.63%

Max
6.66%
Q3
3.58%
Median
2.85%
Q1
0.66%
AEE
0.63%
Min
0.00%

DUK

Utilities industry group

3.29%

Max
6.66%
Q3
3.58%
DUK
3.29%
Median
2.85%
Q1
0.66%
Min
0.00%
Loading chart…
Ameren (AEE) vs. Duke Energy (DUK): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Ameren (AEE) at 51.48% and Duke Energy (DUK) at 62.76% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

AEE

Utilities industry group

51.48%

Max
113.04%
Q3
68.72%
Median
56.38%
AEE
51.48%
Q1
32.38%
Min
0.00%

DUK

Utilities industry group

62.76%

Max
113.04%
Q3
68.72%
DUK
62.76%
Median
56.38%
Q1
32.38%
Min
0.00%
Loading chart…
Ameren (AEE) vs. Duke Energy (DUK): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Ameren (AEE) and Duke Energy (DUK)
MetricAEEDUK
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.63%3.29%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)51.48%62.76%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Ameren (AEE) at 19.63 and Duke Energy (DUK) at 18.74 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

AEE

Utilities industry group

19.63

Max
31.22
Q3
23.30
Median
19.64
AEE
19.63
Q1
15.17
Min
3.34

DUK

Utilities industry group

18.74

Max
31.22
Q3
23.30
Median
19.64
DUK
18.74
Q1
15.17
Min
3.34
Loading chart…
Ameren (AEE) vs. Duke Energy (DUK): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Duke Energy (DUK) at 2.99 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Ameren (AEE) at 3.63 sits in the pricier quartile — AEE costs more per dollar of sales.

AEE

Utilities industry group

3.63

Max
6.35
AEE
3.63
Q3
3.63
Median
2.63
Q1
1.52
Min
0.00

DUK

Utilities industry group

2.99

Max
6.35
Q3
3.63
DUK
2.99
Median
2.63
Q1
1.52
Min
0.00
Loading chart…
Ameren (AEE) vs. Duke Energy (DUK): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

On P/B ratio, both Ameren (AEE) at 2.20 and Duke Energy (DUK) at 1.83 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.

AEE

Utilities industry group

2.20

Max
3.12
Q3
2.21
AEE
2.20
Median
1.83
Q1
1.46
Min
0.34

DUK

Utilities industry group

1.83

Max
3.12
Q3
2.21
DUK
1.83
Median
1.83
Q1
1.46
Min
0.34
Loading chart…
Ameren (AEE) vs. Duke Energy (DUK): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Ameren (AEE) and Duke Energy (DUK)
MetricAEEDUK
P/E Ratio (TTM)19.6318.74
P/S Ratio (TTM)3.632.99
P/B Ratio (MRQ)2.201.83
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)-8.06%-2.76%