Stephens Inc. AR Lowers Stake in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Posted by Brenda Bartman on May 16th, 2026

Stephens Inc. AR reduced its holdings in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK – Free Report) by 4.2% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 307,179 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 13,480 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $36,039,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Duke Energy by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 78,258,757 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $9,172,709,000 after acquiring an additional 1,957,592 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp lifted its position in Duke Energy by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,758,700 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $960,139,000 after acquiring an additional 31,703 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in Duke Energy by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 7,281,986 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $901,146,000 after acquiring an additional 288,499 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its position in Duke Energy by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 5,033,225 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $622,862,000 after acquiring an additional 12,758 shares during the period. Finally, Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec lifted its position in Duke Energy by 19.1% during the 3rd quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 2,613,595 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $323,432,000 after acquiring an additional 419,992 shares during the period. 65.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Duke Energy

Here are the key news stories impacting Duke Energy this week:

Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy held a groundbreaking ceremony for its Cayuga Energy Complex, signaling continued investment in its generation and infrastructure buildout, which can support future regulated-rate growth. Duke Energy holds a groundbreaking ceremony for their Cayuga Energy Complex
Positive Sentiment: The company reported that no toxic algae was found at the Lake Norman site after an earlier state finding, which may reduce environmental and reputational concerns. Duke Energy: No toxic algae found at Lake Norman site where state said it was
Neutral Sentiment: DUK remains a heavily watched stock, with investor attention likely reflecting interest in its defensive utility profile and upcoming rate/regulatory developments. Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Duke Energy’s North Carolina rate-increase hearing was postponed could delay a key catalyst for earnings and cash-flow improvement, but the impact is still uncertain. Duke Energy rate-increase hearing postponed over missed scheduling deadline
Neutral Sentiment: The company’s claims that a merger will save customers $2.3 billion and news about combining its two North Carolina utilities may help long-term efficiency, but investors are likely waiting to see regulatory details. Duke Energy claims merger to save customers $2.3 billion, double initial estimate
Negative Sentiment: Questions around North Carolina policy and legal issues tied to Duke Energy’s solar plans could add uncertainty to future capital spending and regulatory approval. Shunning the sunshine? NC order for Duke Energy to hit brakes on solar raises policy, legal questions

Insider Transactions at Duke Energy

In other news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.15, for a total value of $438,025.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at $2,680,087.25. The trade was a 14.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.86, for a total transaction of $123,001.32. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 3,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $498,142.56. This represents a 19.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 24,462 shares of company stock worth $3,048,426 over the last three months. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on DUK. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $138.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Duke Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $143.00 to $140.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $142.00 to $141.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.00.

Get Our Latest Analysis on Duke Energy

Duke Energy Stock Down 2.7%

Shares of Duke Energy stock opened at $120.98 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $94.31 billion, a PE ratio of 18.53 and a beta of 0.41. Duke Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $113.39 and a 52-week high of $134.49. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $128.90 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $124.06.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.44 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 9.73%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.76 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $1.065 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is currently 65.24%.

Duke Energy Profile

(Free Report)

Duke Energy Corporation is a U.S.-based electric power holding company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company’s core business is the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Duke Energy operates a mix of regulated electric utilities and non-regulated energy businesses, providing essential energy infrastructure and services across multiple states.

Its operating activities include owning and operating generation assets across a portfolio that encompasses nuclear, natural gas, coal, hydroelectric and an expanding array of renewable resources, as well as battery storage and grid modernization projects.