ABN AMRO Bank N.V. Invests $492,000 in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

ABN AMRO Bank N.V. purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 4,200 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $492,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of DUK. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Duke Energy by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 78,258,757 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $9,172,709,000 after purchasing an additional 1,957,592 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 31,703 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 7,281,986 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $901,146,000 after buying an additional 288,499 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 0.3% in 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 buying an additional 12,758 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec increased its holdings in Duke Energy by 19.1% in the third quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 2,613,595 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $323,432,000 after buying an additional 419,992 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Duke Energy news, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.86, for a total value 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 $498,142.56. This represents a 19.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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 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 $11,952,205.74. This represents a 17.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 27,762 shares of company stock valued at $3,478,557. 0.12% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of Duke Energy stock opened at $124.81 on Tuesday. Duke Energy Corporation has a 1-year low of $111.22 and a 1-year high of $134.49. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $129.53 and a 200-day simple moving average of $124.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $97.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.11 and a beta of 0.41.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.06. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 9.73%. The firm had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.76 EPS. The business’s quarterly 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. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $1.065 dividend. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is currently 65.24%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Duke Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 28th. Evercore raised their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $140.00 in a report on Monday. Capitol Sec Mgt lowered shares of Duke Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of 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, Mizuho raised their target price on Duke Energy from $130.00 to $139.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. One 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.53.

Key Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy submitted an application for Department of Energy loans that could deliver potentially billions of dollars in customer savings while funding grid strengthening and added capacity. Duke Energy applies for Department of Energy loans that represent potentially billions of dollars in customer savings
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive, with Evercore raising its price target to $140, suggesting upside from current levels despite some recent share-price softness. Evercore raises Duke Energy price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy also received attention for operational and community items, including volunteer work and road closures tied to maintenance, which are unlikely to materially affect earnings. Duke Energy volunteers help Terre Haute Humane Society
• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies trimmed its price target to $138 from $143, but the new target still implies upside and does not signal a major change in the investment case. Jefferies lowers Duke Energy price target
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares in a disclosed transaction, which can create some near-term caution even though insider sales are not always a strong fundamental signal. SEC Form 4 filing for CEO share sale

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.