Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd raised its position in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK – Free Report) by 29.4% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 28,659 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,510 shares during the period. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $3,359,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Principal Securities Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 8.1% during the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 54,941 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $6,440,000 after buying an additional 4,112 shares in the last quarter. Fox Hill Wealth Management lifted its position in Duke Energy by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Fox Hill Wealth Management now owns 29,102 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,411,000 after buying an additional 716 shares in the last quarter. Founders Financial Alliance LLC lifted its position in Duke Energy by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Founders Financial Alliance LLC now owns 58,251 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $6,828,000 after buying an additional 966 shares in the last quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Duke Energy by 321.1% during the 4th quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC now owns 14,689 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,722,000 after buying an additional 11,201 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. lifted its position in Duke Energy by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 8,627 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,011,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
DUK has been the topic of several research reports. Capitol Sec Mgt downgraded shares of Duke Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Duke Energy from $141.00 to $132.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $139.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on Duke Energy from $143.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their target price on Duke Energy from $142.00 to $137.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.93.
Insider Activity
In related news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.15, for a total transaction of $438,025.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 21,415 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. This trade represents a 14.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.37, for a total value of $2,487,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 96,102 shares in the company, valued at $11,952,205.74. The trade was a 17.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Duke Energy Price Performance
Duke Energy stock opened at $124.23 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $96.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.02 and a beta of 0.39. Duke Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $113.66 and a 1 year high of $134.49. The business has a 50-day moving average of $126.28 and a 200-day moving average of $124.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45.
Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK – Get Free Report) last posted 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 company had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.44 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.73% and a net margin of 15.49%.The company’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 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 EPS for the current year.
Duke Energy Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $1.065 per share. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is presently 65.24%.
Duke Energy News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Duke Energy this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy joined the new Careers Electric coalition, aiming to help train 25,000 workers over the next 10 years and strengthen the utility’s labor pipeline, especially in North Carolina. That could support Duke’s ability to staff grid and infrastructure projects as demand rises. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: The U.S. Department of Energy approved up to $96 million in grants to help refurbish Duke’s coal-fired plants in Kentucky and North Carolina, which may reduce capital burden and support grid reliability. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: CEO Harry Sideris said electricity demand is growing at 10 times the historical pace, reinforcing the long-term case for regulated utilities like Duke as data-center and electrification demand accelerate. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Duke was named a “Moderate Buy” by brokerages, which supports a constructive longer-term view but is not a fresh catalyst by itself. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Investor interest remains elevated, with Duke appearing frequently in stock-watch and “trending stock” coverage, suggesting the market is still reassessing the utility’s growth story. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: Regulatory headlines are weighing on sentiment, including questions over Duke’s role in attracting new data centers to North Carolina and concerns that a pause in solar procurement could affect customer bills and project timing. Article Title Article Title
Duke Energy Profile
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.
Further Reading
- Five stocks we like better than Duke Energy
- Microsoft Just Gave Investors 3 Dates They Can’t Afford to Ignore
- NVIDIA’s Outlook Gains Momentum: Stock Price to Follow
- The World Cup Is Coming—These 3 Stocks Could Cash In
- Spotify’s “North Star” Outlook Was Music to Investors Ears
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DUK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Duke Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Duke Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
