DAVENPORT & Co LLC Has $26.50 Million Position in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

DAVENPORT & Co LLC boosted its stake in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 4.0% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 226,094 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,669 shares during the period. DAVENPORT & Co LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $26,501,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the third quarter worth $27,000. Wiser Advisor Group LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Bare Financial Services Inc grew its stake in Duke Energy by 211.1% in the 3rd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 280 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Trading Up 0.6%

Duke Energy stock opened at $128.08 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $125.93 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $123.05. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. Duke Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $111.22 and a 12 month high of $134.49. The stock has a market cap of $99.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.27 and a beta of 0.50.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 9th. The utilities provider reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $7.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.57 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.66% and a net margin of 15.41%.During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.66 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $1.065 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is currently 67.41%.

Key Headlines Impacting Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results and fundamentals showed resilience — Duke topped EPS expectations ($1.50 vs. $1.49) and posted revenue above estimates; the stock trades at a mid-20s P/E and analysts expect ~6.33 EPS for the year, supporting the rally. Duke Energy trading and earnings summary
• Positive Sentiment: Macro/strategic upside from Sunbelt footprint — analysis argues Duke’s Sunbelt assets position it to capture rising AI/data-center demand, which could drive incremental load and grid upgrade revenues. Duke Energy: Prime Sunbelt Assets Set It Up For AI Tailwinds
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy Florida customer relief programs reduce near-term bill pressure — storm cost charges were removed (lowering typical bills) and ~ $30.5M in assistance aided ~31k customers in 2025, which may reduce arrears and regulatory friction. Energy Bill Assistance Available for Qualified Duke Energy Florida Customers
• Neutral Sentiment: Customer relations/PR focus — coverage highlights efforts (with AES Indiana example) to rebuild customer trust and service reliability; execution on these initiatives matters but impact on near-term earnings is uncertain. AES Indiana and Duke Energy seek to rebuild trust with customers
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector peers show similar tailwinds — bullish takes on CenterPoint (CNP) and Ameren underline industry-wide demand for grid upgrades and data-center connections; these stories highlight shared opportunities and competitive dynamics. Here’s Why CNP Stock Deserves a Spot in Your Portfolio Right Now Ameren Poised for Growth on Rising Power Demand & Investments
• Negative Sentiment: Local opposition to data centers in Rowan County could delay interconnection approvals or raise costs — residents protested a Duke Energy hearing, signaling possible permitting, political and PR headwinds for new data-center hookups. ‘Nobody wants it here.’ Rowan County residents rail against data centers at Duke Energy hearing
• Negative Sentiment: Political and environmental pressure in North Carolina — town officials and groups are urging the governor to push Duke toward faster renewable adoption, which could increase near-term capex or regulatory constraints. NC town, environmental groups urge Gov. Stein to push Duke on renewable energy

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on DUK. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Duke Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $141.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on Duke Energy from $143.00 to $140.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $139.00 price target on Duke Energy in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $137.80.

Insider Buying and Selling at Duke Energy

In other news, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.86, for a total transaction of $123,001.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 3,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $498,142.56. This trade represents a 19.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.67, for a total transaction of $868,156.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 22,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,809,633.69. This trade represents a 23.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

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.