USS Investment Management Ltd Has $16.88 Million Holdings in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

USS Investment Management Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 3.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 128,951 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 4,660 shares during the quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $16,884,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Basso Capital Management L.P. bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Dorato Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 1,111.1% in the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 218 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management increased its position in Duke Energy by 68.6% in the 4th quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 231 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the company’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 $2,680,087.25. This represents a 14.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.37, for a total transaction 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 approximately $11,952,205.74. This represents a 17.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.12% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Duke Energy News Roundup

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 several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Monday, May 4th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $138.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Truist Financial lowered their target price on Duke Energy from $142.00 to $137.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Duke Energy from $135.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $135.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Duke Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.33.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of DUK opened at $125.75 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $98.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.26 and a beta of 0.38. Duke Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $113.89 and a 52 week high of $134.49. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $124.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $124.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.66.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.76 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

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

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.