Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) Receives $136.50 Consensus PT from Brokerages

Shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $136.50.

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on DUK shares. Evercore ISI began coverage on Duke Energy in a research note on Monday, October 6th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $143.00 price objective for the company. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $132.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of Duke Energy to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $131.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Monday, December 15th.

Duke Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: South Carolina regulators approved a Duke Energy Progress rate increase that will take effect in 2026, supporting near‑term revenue and allowed returns. South Carolina regulators approve Duke Energy Progress rate hike hitting bills in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst price target was raised to $146, indicating some broker optimism about upside. Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Price Target Raised to $146.00
• Positive Sentiment: Management is pursuing cost savings (combining Carolina operations to target ~$1B in savings) and investing in outage‑response technology—measures that support margins and operational resilience. Customers urge Duke Energy to delay rate hikes as it combines Carolina businesses to save $1 billion
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage consensus is around a “Moderate Buy” and industry pieces compare DUK vs. EXC for clean‑energy/upside potential—useful context for income‑focused investors but not an immediate catalyst. Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and features (behind‑the‑scenes videos, distribution control center stories) highlight operational improvements and tech adoption—positive PR but limited immediate market impact. Behind The Scenes At Duke Energy
• Negative Sentiment: Two arrests in an ongoing fraud case allege schemes that defrauded Duke Energy of significant sums; the prosecutions raise reputational and potential recovery/cost questions. 2nd arrest made in ongoing Duke Energy fraud case, authorities say
• Negative Sentiment: Local reporting shows customers being hit by unexpected deposit fees added to electric bills and mounting pushback against steep rate increases amid reports of high company profits—this can fuel regulatory/political pressure and customer complaints. Duke Energy customers shocked by unexpected deposit fees added to electric bills
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage alleges Duke failed a state grid‑reliability test and then sought an easier standard—raises regulatory scrutiny and could pressure future approvals or require additional investment. Duke Energy failed state test for power grid reliability, then asked for an easier test

Duke Energy Stock Performance

NYSE DUK opened at $115.57 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $122.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $121.19. Duke Energy has a 12-month low of $105.20 and a 12-month high of $130.03. The firm has a market cap of $89.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.17, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.06. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.98% and a net margin of 15.76%.The company had revenue of $8.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.51 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.62 EPS. Duke Energy’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Duke Energy will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 14th were paid a dividend of $1.065 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 14th. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.7%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 66.98%.

Insider Activity at Duke Energy

In related news, EVP Robert Alexander Glenn sold 8,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.80, for a total value of $1,015,160.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 11,367 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,407,234.60. This trade represents a 41.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Activest Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 98.1% during the first quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 212 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the period. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Duke Energy by 53.7% in the 2nd quarter. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC now owns 249 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 65.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.