Vertrix Wealth Management LLC Acquires Shares of 37,444 Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Vertrix Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 37,444 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $4,903,000. Duke Energy makes up 1.8% of Vertrix Wealth Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Basso Capital Management L.P. bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Dorato Capital Management acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in Duke Energy by 1,111.1% during the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 218 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management grew its stake in Duke Energy by 68.6% during the fourth quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 231 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other Duke Energy news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.15, for a total value of $438,025.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 96,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,952,205.74. The trade was a 17.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Duke Energy Stock Down 0.7%

NYSE:DUK opened at $125.75 on Thursday. Duke Energy Corporation has a one year low of $113.89 and a one year high of $134.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The company has a market cap of $98.03 billion, a PE ratio of 19.26 and a beta of 0.38. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $124.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $124.65.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $9.18 billion for 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 firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.76 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

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

More Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy announced nearly $1 billion in spending with North Carolina suppliers, a move that supports U.S.-based supply chains, local economies, grid equipment procurement, and long-term reliability. Duke Energy’s nearly $1 billion investment with North Carolina suppliers strengthens American supply chains, local economies and the nation’s energy future
• Positive Sentiment: Indiana regulators approved Duke Energy’s $20 million project to serve a semiconductor manufacturer, highlighting ongoing demand from large industrial customers and potential load growth for the utility. Indiana regulators OK Duke Energy’s $20M project for chip manufacturer
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy Foundation committed $773,000 to 22 Florida nonprofits and higher-education groups to strengthen STEM education, supporting workforce development and the company’s community-focused profile. Duke Energy Foundation invests $773,000 to strengthen STEM education in Florida
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy launched an AI-powered Bill Insights feature for Carolinas customers, which may improve customer experience and digital engagement, but is not a near-term earnings driver on its own. Duke Energy (DUK) Launches AI Bill Insights For Carolinas Customers
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage comparing DUK with CEG highlighted Duke Energy’s dividend yield, valuation, and earnings estimates as competitive positives, reinforcing the stock’s appeal as a defensive income name. CEG or DUK: Which Stock Deserves to Be in Your Portfolio Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Duke Energy ended its offshore wind lease off the North Carolina coast and agreed to a federal buyback, a sign it is stepping away from a growth project and potentially giving up optionality in renewables. Duke Energy pulls NC wind farm project in settlement with Department of Interior

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DUK has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $135.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Capitol Sec Mgt downgraded Duke Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $139.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $136.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.33.

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.