ABN Amro Investment Solutions Buys 4,463 Shares of Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

ABN Amro Investment Solutions raised its position in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 13.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 36,469 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,463 shares during the quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions’ holdings in Duke Energy were worth $4,775,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of DUK. Basso Capital Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Dorato Capital Management acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings 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 worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management increased its holdings in Duke Energy by 68.6% in the fourth quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 231 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s 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 in the company, valued at approximately $11,952,205.74. This trade represents a 17.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The stock was 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 approximately $2,680,087.25. This represents a 14.05% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Up 1.6%

Duke Energy stock opened at $127.96 on Thursday. Duke Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $113.89 and a fifty-two week high of $134.49. 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’s 50-day simple moving average is $125.00 and its 200 day simple moving average is $125.67. The stock has a market cap of $99.76 billion, a PE ratio of 19.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.38.

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 the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.06. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 9.73%. The firm had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.76 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $1.085 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is a positive change from Duke Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.24%.

Trending Headlines about Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy reached a North Carolina rate settlement that significantly trims the proposed increase, which could improve the outlook for future revenue and reduce uncertainty for investors.
• Positive Sentiment: The company was highlighted as a trending stock, suggesting increased investor attention and trading interest around Duke Energy shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy also received coverage tied to dividend growth and data-center demand trends, reinforcing the stock’s appeal as a defensive income name with growth catalysts.
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy awarded $35,000 to West Terre Haute nonprofits, a positive community-relations item but not likely to materially affect the stock price.
• Negative Sentiment: North Carolina officials, including the attorney general, continue to push back on the rate settlement, keeping regulatory scrutiny elevated and leaving some downside risk if approvals become more difficult.
• Negative Sentiment: News that Duke Energy ended a wind lease off the North Carolina coast adds a bit of uncertainty around its clean-energy strategy, though the immediate financial impact appears limited.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DUK has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $137.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $139.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Evercore boosted their price objective on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $140.00 in a report on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Duke Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.60.

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.