Aptus Capital Advisors LLC Acquires 9,548 Shares of Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Aptus Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 4.6% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 216,439 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,548 shares during the quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $25,369,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Assetmark Inc. boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 28.2% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 107,894 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $13,352,000 after purchasing an additional 23,736 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 62.7% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 42,680 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $5,003,000 after purchasing an additional 16,450 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 22.7% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 132,530 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $15,534,000 after acquiring an additional 24,497 shares during the period. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $86,309,000. Finally, Moseley Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 423.6% in the 4th quarter. Moseley Investment Management Inc. now owns 9,749 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,143,000 after acquiring an additional 7,887 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary are highlighting Duke Energy as a defensive, low-volatility utility pick as inflation jumps and oil prices surge, which can draw investors toward stable dividend names like DUK. 3 Low-Beta Utility Stocks to Buy as Inflation Jumps to Three-Year High
• Positive Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece argues Duke Energy could keep rising, reinforcing bullish sentiment around the company’s earnings outlook, utility stability, and rate-driven growth profile. Duke Energy: Why This Utility Could Keep Rising
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy received up to $96 million in federal coal plant grants, which could help offset refurbishment costs and support grid reliability without passing as much expense to customers. How Investors Are Reacting To Duke Energy (DUK) Winning US$96 Million In Federal Coal Plant Grants
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains constructive, with Duke Energy carrying an average “Moderate Buy” recommendation. Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 96,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,952,205.74. This represents a 17.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.15, for a total value of $438,025.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 21,415 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. The trade was a 14.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $138.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Mizuho raised their price objective on Duke Energy from $130.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Evercore raised their price objective on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Duke Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. Finally, Capitol Sec Mgt downgraded Duke Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.93.

Duke Energy Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of DUK opened at $124.91 on Friday. Duke Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $113.66 and a 1 year high of $134.49. 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 50 day simple moving average of $126.16 and a 200-day simple moving average of $124.01. The stock has a market cap of $97.38 billion, a PE ratio of 19.13 and a beta of 0.39.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.44 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.76 EPS. Duke Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 EPS for the current fiscal 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 issued a $1.065 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 65.24%.

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.