Duke Energy Corporation $DUK Shares Sold by Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund cut its stake in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 79.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 256,742 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 970,042 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $30,093,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in DUK. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Duke Energy by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 78,258,757 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $9,172,709,000 after purchasing an additional 1,957,592 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in shares of Duke Energy by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,236,893 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $965,446,000 after purchasing an additional 954,907 shares in the last quarter. Milford Funds Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $97,905,000. Cohen & Steers Inc. grew its position in shares of Duke Energy by 83.3% in the fourth quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 1,711,445 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $200,598,000 after purchasing an additional 777,878 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $86,309,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Duke Energy news, 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 value of $2,487,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 96,102 shares in the company, valued at $11,952,205.74. This trade represents a 17.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. This represents a 14.05% 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 owned by company insiders.

Duke Energy Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of Duke Energy stock opened at $125.22 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $97.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.18 and a beta of 0.39. Duke Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $113.66 and a fifty-two week high of $134.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.66. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $126.02 and a 200 day moving average of $124.04.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $9.18 billion during 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 revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.76 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

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 $1.065 dividend. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 65.24%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on DUK shares. Truist Financial dropped their price target on Duke Energy from $142.00 to $137.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Mizuho upped their price target on Duke Energy from $130.00 to $139.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $136.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Duke Energy from $135.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Capitol Sec Mgt lowered Duke Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.93.

Duke Energy News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lower interest rates could be a tailwind for Duke Energy because they may reduce refinancing costs and make the utility’s dividend yield more attractive to income-focused investors. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlighted Duke Energy as a reliable “safe haven” dividend stock, noting 100 consecutive years of quarterly payouts and reinforcing the company’s appeal as a defensive utility holding. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Ohio Supreme Court news that Duke Energy can charge customers to close retired propane caverns supports recovery of utility costs and may ease regulatory pressure on earnings. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy Foundation announced $830,000 in America250 grants, completing more than $1 million in civic and history-related funding across its service territory. The initiative is positive for community relations but unlikely to move the stock materially. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several operational items, including nuclear siren testing and storm-related outage coverage, reflect routine utility activity and severe weather response rather than a clear fundamental change. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage about Duke seeking higher rates alongside gas-plant plans colliding with clean-energy goals could signal continued regulatory friction and uncertainty around future capital spending and approvals. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A report on Duke Energy resource planning proceedings noted a pro-coal commissioner’s absence, underscoring ongoing debate around the company’s generation mix and long-term energy strategy. Article Title

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.