Duke Energy Corporation $DUK Shares Purchased by Assenagon Asset Management S.A.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 183.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 894,066 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 578,843 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $117,069,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 11.6% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,754 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $728,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in shares of Duke Energy by 19.6% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 23,162 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,825,000 after purchasing an additional 3,797 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 1.0% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 31,238 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $3,686,000 after purchasing an additional 315 shares during the last quarter. AXA S.A. increased its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 523.4% in the second quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 42,233 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $4,983,000 after purchasing an additional 35,458 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $954,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other Duke Energy news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.15, for a total transaction of $438,025.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at $2,680,087.25. This trade represents a 14.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

More Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Duke Energy to $136 from $132, signaling about 8.7% upside from recent trading levels and reinforcing a constructive view on the utility. Morgan Stanley adjusts price target on Duke Energy to 136 from 132, maintains Equal Weight rating
• Positive Sentiment: Two articles highlighted Duke Energy as one of the better S&P 500 dividend stocks, pointing to its 3.41% annual dividend yield and defensive utility profile, which may appeal to income-focused investors. Is Duke Energy (DUK) One of the Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy for Dividends?
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy Foundation announced more than $550,000 in America250 grants in South Carolina and North Carolina, a modest positive for sentiment and brand image but not a major financial driver. Duke Energy Foundation completes more than $550,000 in grants

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $139.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Duke Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $143.00 to $138.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $135.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $137.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.33.

Duke Energy Price Performance

DUK stock opened at $126.33 on Thursday. Duke Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $113.89 and a 52-week high of $134.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. The stock has a market cap of $98.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.35 and a beta of 0.39. The business has a fifty day moving average of $125.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $124.22.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $9.18 billion for 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 company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.76 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $1.065 per share. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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.