Duke Energy Corporation $DUK Stock Holdings Increased by HighTower Advisors LLC

HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 785,632 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,523 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC owned 0.10% of Duke Energy worth $92,084,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Dorato Capital Management bought a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new position in Duke Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Wiser Advisor Group LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its position in Duke Energy by 13,750.0% during the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 277 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Duke Energy news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $2,680,087.25. The trade was a 14.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of Duke Energy 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 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 position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 24,462 shares of company stock worth $3,048,426 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of Duke Energy stock opened at $124.59 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $128.56 and its 200-day simple moving average is $124.02. The company has a market cap of $97.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.08 and a beta of 0.41. 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 Corporation has a 1 year low of $113.39 and a 1 year high of $134.49.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.44 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 9.73%. Duke Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.76 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 EPS 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 paid a dividend of $1.065 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is currently 65.24%.

Duke Energy News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy said its latest earnings call showed progress on a massive growth plan, reinforcing the company’s long-term investment and earnings outlook. Duke Energy EPS Jumps as Massive Growth Plan Advances
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy Indiana began construction on an expansion of the Cayuga power plant, a sign of ongoing infrastructure investment that could support future capacity and regulated returns. Duke Energy Indiana begins construction on expanding Cayuga power plant
• Positive Sentiment: The Duke Energy Foundation announced more than $250,000 in grants to support veterans’ career pathways across six states, reinforcing its community-investment profile. Duke Energy Foundation Invests Over $250,000 to Support Veterans’ Career Pathways Across 6 States
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy also launched home-assessment efforts aimed at helping customers lower energy bills and improve efficiency, which is supportive of customer relations but unlikely to move the stock on its own. Duke Energy offers home assessments to keep energy bills low, efficient
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s foundation also awarded $50,000 to Florida veteran organizations, a positive public-relations move but not a material earnings driver. Duke Energy Foundation awards 50,000 to organizations honoring and supporting Florida veterans
• Negative Sentiment: A reported power outage in Clayton tied to underground line issues may remind investors of operational and reliability risks, though it appears to be an isolated incident. Thousands lose power in Clayton after issue with underground lines, Duke Energy says

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $130.00 to $139.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $127.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Capitol Sec Mgt lowered shares of Duke Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $143.00 to $140.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $138.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $139.67.

Duke Energy Company 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.