Duke Energy Corporation $DUK Shares Bought by Daiwa Securities Group Inc.

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 2.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 201,010 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,504 shares during the quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $23,560,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Dorato Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Duke Energy by 1,111.1% in the fourth 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 during the last quarter. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Duke Energy by 300.0% during the fourth quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 280 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of DUK opened at $124.28 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $126.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $123.98. Duke Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $113.66 and a 52-week high of $134.49. The firm has a market cap of $96.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.03 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) 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 period in the prior year, the company posted $1.76 EPS. Duke Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $1.065 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 65.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Duke Energy

In other news, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.37, for a total value of $2,487,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. This trade represents a 14.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: The U.S. Department of Energy selected Duke Energy for up to $61.8 million in grant funding to upgrade coal-fired plants in Kentucky and North Carolina, lifting total federal support for Duke projects to nearly $96 million. The funding should help improve reliability and may reduce customer costs. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy said it sees data centers driving power demand growth at roughly 10x historic pace, which supports a longer-term growth story for utility load and capital investment. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy also received a separate $61.8 million DOE grant headline from market coverage, reinforcing investor interest in federal support for its coal plant modernization efforts. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy Foundation announced $500,000 in grants for South Carolina emergency preparedness and another $500,000 for small-business support in North Carolina. These are positive for reputation, but likely limited direct stock impact. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: North Carolina customers and consumer groups are pushing back hard against Duke Energy’s proposed 18% rate hike, which could increase regulatory scrutiny and weigh on sentiment if approval becomes difficult. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: St. Petersburg approved a feasibility study on leaving Duke Energy Florida for a city-run utility, a reminder of customer dissatisfaction and a potential long-term competitive/regulatory risk. Article Title

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DUK has been the subject of several recent research reports. Mizuho increased their price target on Duke Energy from $130.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Monday, May 4th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Evercore lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Duke Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.93.

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.