WealthPoint Financial LLC Takes Position in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

WealthPoint Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUKFree Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 6,581 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $771,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in DUK. Basso Capital Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Dorato Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 1,111.1% during the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 218 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the third quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management increased its holdings in Duke Energy by 68.6% in the fourth quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 231 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Duke Energy

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

  • Positive Sentiment: Mizuho trimmed its price target on Duke Energy to $135 from $139, but kept an Outperform rating, still implying upside from current levels. Street Insider article
  • Positive Sentiment: Investor-focused coverage highlighted Duke Energy as one of several utility stocks offering long-term passive income appeal, reinforcing the stock’s defensive, income-oriented profile. 247WallSt article
  • Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy’s safety demonstration for Pinellas County law enforcement was a routine community/outreach event, with limited direct impact on earnings or valuation. Yahoo News article
  • Neutral Sentiment: Power outages and restorations in local service areas, including reports of customers temporarily without electricity, are operational headlines that may create short-term noise but do not by themselves change the investment thesis. MSN article
  • Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory and local-government coverage, including a commissioner being barred from a planning vote and Clearwater’s review of Duke Energy property, adds uncertainty around future utility planning and municipal relations, but the near-term stock impact is unclear. Yahoo News article
  • Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting that Duke Energy declined more than the market in the latest session may be reinforcing bearish trading momentum in the shares. Yahoo Finance article
  • Negative Sentiment: A pro-coal state regulator stepping away from Duke Energy carbon plan decisions could increase uncertainty around the company’s long-term generation strategy and regulatory process. WFAE article

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on DUK shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Duke Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 28th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Monday, May 4th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on Duke Energy from $143.00 to $138.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on Duke Energy from $142.00 to $137.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $139.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.07.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Duke Energy

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE DUK opened at $123.84 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $125.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $124.06. Duke Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $113.89 and a 52-week high of $134.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $96.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.97 and a beta of 0.39.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUKGet Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.06. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.73% and a net margin of 15.49%.The company had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.44 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.76 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $1.065 dividend. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 65.24%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.15, for a total value of $438,025.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 21,415 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,680,087.25. This trade represents a 14.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.37, for a total transaction of $2,487,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 96,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,952,205.74. This represents a 17.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Company 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.

Featured Stories

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Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK)

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