Harmony Asset Management LLC Sells 8,822 Shares of Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Harmony Asset Management LLC decreased its position in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 74.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,081 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 8,822 shares during the period. Harmony Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $403,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of DUK. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Duke Energy by 11.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,754 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $728,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 19.6% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 23,162 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,825,000 after purchasing an additional 3,797 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 1.0% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 31,238 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,686,000 after purchasing an additional 315 shares during the last quarter. AXA S.A. increased its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 523.4% in the second quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 42,233 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $4,983,000 after buying an additional 35,458 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the second quarter valued at $954,000. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of DUK stock opened at $124.28 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $96.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.03 and a beta of 0.38. Duke Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $113.89 and a 12 month high of $134.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $124.85 and a 200 day moving average price of $125.36.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. 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 net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 9.73%. The company had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.44 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.76 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $1.085 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is a boost from Duke Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.5%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 65.24%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on DUK. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $135.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $143.00 to $134.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Capitol Sec Mgt cut shares of Duke Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $138.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Duke Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.33.

More Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy raised its quarterly dividend to $1.085 per share from $1.06, signaling confidence in cash flow and providing a higher income yield for investors. Duke Energy announces dividend payments to shareholders
• Positive Sentiment: The company highlighted its Duke Energy Florida EnergyWise Home program, which offers up to $141 in annual bill credits with minimal effort from customers, supporting customer retention and goodwill. Sign up, sit back, save: Duke Energy Florida program offers bill credits with minimal requirements, little effort needed from customers
• Positive Sentiment: Separately, Duke Energy is being discussed favorably for its long-term pivot toward nuclear power as it exits offshore wind, a move intended to support future electricity demand from data centers and industrial customers. Should Duke Energy’s (DUK) Pivot From Offshore Wind to Nuclear Reshape Its Long‑Term Strategy?
• Neutral Sentiment: North Carolina regulators are still reviewing Duke’s proposed rate hikes, and related headlines suggest the outcome is not yet fully resolved, keeping some uncertainty around future earnings and returns. Utilities sought record rate increases this spring as Duke’s request remains before NC regulators
• Negative Sentiment: Public scrutiny around Duke Energy’s rate increase plans and customer bill credits may add pressure on sentiment, as investors weigh regulatory risk and affordability concerns. Duke Energy’s rate increase meets a very energized public | Opinion

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at $2,680,087.25. This trade represents a 14.05% decrease in their position. The transaction 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 company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.37, for a total value of $2,487,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 96,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,952,205.74. This represents a 17.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.