Key Points
- SVP Regis Repko sold 962 shares of Duke Energy on Feb. 24 at an average price of $127.86, realizing about $123,001 and reducing his stake by 19.8% to 3,896 shares.
- Duke declared a quarterly dividend of $1.065 (annualized $4.26), implying a ~3.3% yield; the ex-dividend date was Feb. 13 and the payment is scheduled for Mar. 16, with a payout ratio around 67.4%.
- The company reported EPS of $1.50 (beat by $0.01) and revenue of $7.94B, and while analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" with a $135.75 target, operational/regulatory issues (billing errors, regulatory inquiries) and a ~27.7% rise in short interest pose near-term downside risks.
Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) SVP Regis Repko sold 962 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.86, for a total value of $123,001.32. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 3,896 shares in the company, valued at $498,142.56. This represents a 19.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.
Duke Energy Stock Up 0.1%
NYSE DUK traded up $0.16 during trading on Thursday, reaching $129.09. 1,322,978 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,335,253. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. Duke Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $111.22 and a fifty-two week high of $130.03. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $120.56 and its 200-day simple moving average is $122.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $100.39 billion, a PE ratio of 20.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.51.
Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The utilities provider reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.01. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.41% and a return on equity of 9.66%. The business had revenue of $7.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.57 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.66 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.
Duke Energy Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $1.065 dividend. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.41%.
Key Duke Energy News
Here are the key news stories impacting Duke Energy this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target for DUK from $130 to $139 while maintaining an Equal Weight rating, signaling modest analyst confidence in valuation upside. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Duke highlighted Expansions in microgrid projects, home solar/battery VPP participation and $500k in environmental grants — initiatives that can support long‑term demand, grid resilience and regulatory goodwill. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Duke’s nuclear fleet set a reliability record in the Carolinas, which supports operating stability and capacity availability. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Duke appears on several lists highlighting dividend/utility stocks benefiting from secular demand (AI/grid upgrades); useful for investor interest but not an immediate catalyst. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Small community/charitable donations were reported (e.g., $10K to a community justice center) — positive PR but immaterial to fundamentals. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: Customers in Greater Cincinnati reported unexpectedly higher bills, tied in reporting to a recent $14M billing error — this raises near‑term customer anger and political/regulatory scrutiny. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: Regulatory change: Duke will replace the 'gas cost recovery' charge with a 'standard service offer' — could alter how fuel/gas costs are recovered and affect short‑term cash flow pass‑through mechanics. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: Regulatory pressure rising: Indiana’s utility commission opened an inquiry into energy affordability, and local reporting anticipates a spike in disconnections after winter storms — both increase regulatory and political risk. Article Title Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: an SVP sold ~962 shares (Regis T. Repko) and reports indicate multiple senior insiders reduced holdings on Feb 24 — can be perceived negatively by investors. SEC filing: SEC Filing
- Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose ~27.7% in February to ~17.17M shares (about 2.2% of float), increasing potential downward pressure and the risk of volatility around catalysts. Article Title
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duke Energy
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Simon Quick Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 42.2% during the second quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC now owns 7,444 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $878,000 after purchasing an additional 2,210 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 37.7% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 41,642 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $5,153,000 after purchasing an additional 11,409 shares in the last quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,046,000. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. grew its position in Duke Energy by 11.3% during the 3rd quarter. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. now owns 274,630 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $33,985,000 after acquiring an additional 27,820 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alley Investment Management Company LLC lifted its holdings in Duke Energy by 13.0% in the 3rd quarter. Alley Investment Management Company LLC now owns 88,018 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $10,892,000 after buying an additional 10,108 shares during the period. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $135.00 to $127.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Duke Energy from $136.00 to $126.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 11th. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $141.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $126.00 to $115.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $139.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $135.75.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on DUK
Duke Energy Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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.
Read More
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from InsiderTrades.com in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
