Barclays PLC Decreases Position in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Barclays PLC lessened its holdings in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 85.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,077,591 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 11,776,033 shares during the period. Barclays PLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $243,514,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of DUK. Dorato Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Triumph Capital Management raised its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lodestone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Trading Down 0.0%

NYSE DUK opened at $124.91 on Monday. 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 firm has a market cap of $97.38 billion, a PE ratio of 19.13 and a beta of 0.39. Duke Energy Corporation has a one year low of $113.66 and a one year high of $134.49. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $126.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $124.02.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.44 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 9.73%. Duke Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.76 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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 payout ratio is currently 65.24%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on DUK. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $135.00 to $136.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Monday, May 4th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $127.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Evercore raised their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $140.00 in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.93.

Key Stories Impacting Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary are highlighting Duke Energy as a defensive, low-volatility utility pick as inflation jumps and oil prices surge, which can draw investors toward stable dividend names like DUK. 3 Low-Beta Utility Stocks to Buy as Inflation Jumps to Three-Year High
• Positive Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece argues Duke Energy could keep rising, reinforcing bullish sentiment around the company’s earnings outlook, utility stability, and rate-driven growth profile. Duke Energy: Why This Utility Could Keep Rising
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy received up to $96 million in federal coal plant grants, which could help offset refurbishment costs and support grid reliability without passing as much expense to customers. How Investors Are Reacting To Duke Energy (DUK) Winning US$96 Million In Federal Coal Plant Grants
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains constructive, with Duke Energy carrying an average “Moderate Buy” recommendation. Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Duke Energy news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of Duke Energy 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. The trade was a 14.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 96,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,952,205.74. This represents a 17.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

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.