Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Price Target Lowered to $138.00 at BMO Capital Markets

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) had its target price decreased by BMO Capital Markets from $139.00 to $138.00 in a research note released on Wednesday morning,MarketScreener reports.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Evercore restated an “in-line” rating and set a $139.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Capitol Sec Mgt lowered Duke Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group upped their price target on Duke Energy from $136.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Duke Energy from $142.00 to $141.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on Duke Energy from $127.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $140.67.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of DUK traded down $1.44 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $124.10. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 440,617 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,117,958. Duke Energy has a 1-year low of $111.22 and a 1-year high of $134.49. The stock has a market cap of $96.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.00 and a beta of 0.41. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $129.80 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $124.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analysts’ expectations of $8.44 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.76 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. Duke Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.550-6.80 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Duke Energy will post 6.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the 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 directly owned 3,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $498,142.56. This trade represents a 19.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.67, for a total value of $868,156.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,809,633.69. The trade was a 23.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.12% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Duke Energy

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sharp Wealth Advisory LLC lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 4.5% during the first quarter. Sharp Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 1,876 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $246,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Absher Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Duke Energy by 2.3% in the first quarter. Absher Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,648 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $478,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. EWA LLC grew its position in shares of Duke Energy by 3.9% in the third quarter. EWA LLC now owns 2,203 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $273,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Duke Energy by 4.6% in the third quarter. Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,854 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $229,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Finally, A4 Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Duke Energy by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. A4 Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,597 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $304,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings and guidance: Duke beat consensus on EPS and revenue (Q1 results showed revenue growth and an EPS beat), and reaffirmed its FY2026 EPS range of $6.55–$6.80, supporting near‑term upside. Duke Energy Q1 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Data‑center growth: Duke announced roughly 2.7 GW of newly contracted data‑center load and a surging pipeline (ESAs expanding), which increases long‑term contracted demand and capital deployment opportunities. This is a key growth driver investors are rewarding. Data Center Deals
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Mizuho raised its price target to $139 and assigned an “outperform” — reinforcing buy‑side conviction after the quarterly beat and growth commentary. Mizuho Price Target Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory approvals & cost‑savings narrative: State regulators have approved utility consolidations and Duke highlights multibillion dollar customer savings from planned mergers, reducing regulatory friction and supporting long‑term efficiency. Merger Approval
• Neutral Sentiment: Florida refund approved: Regulators approved a $90.5M refund to Duke Energy Florida customers for storm cost over‑collections — a one‑time cash outflow and customer goodwill item; limited earnings impact but reduces near‑term cash retention. Florida Refund
• Neutral Sentiment: Customer bill impact explained: Multiple outlets note the refund will modestly lower summer bills for Florida customers; important for PR and political risk but not a material hit to consolidated earnings. Refund Explained
• Negative Sentiment: Political and public pushback on rates: Proposed rate increases are facing fierce public and political resistance (including retirement community concerns), which could complicate future regulatory filings and rate recovery. Rate‑Hike Pushback
• Negative Sentiment: Activist protests and reputational risk: Climate activists publicly targeted state officials and labeled company allies “complicit,” highlighting reputational and political risk that can impact regulatory dynamics. Climate Activist Protest
• Negative Sentiment: Cost and interest‑rate pressure: Coverage of the quarter noted rising costs and higher interest expense weighing on margins—factors that cap near‑term upside despite the beat. Rising Costs & Interest Expense

About Duke Energy

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.