Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the seventeen research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $138.9333.

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $139.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $141.00 to $132.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Evercore upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $127.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $135.00 to $136.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th.

Duke Energy Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE DUK opened at $125.22 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.44. Duke Energy has a 1 year low of $113.66 and a 1 year high of $134.49. The company has a market capitalization of $97.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.18 and a beta of 0.39. The business has a 50-day moving average of $126.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $124.04.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (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 company had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.44 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.76 earnings per share. Duke Energy’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Duke Energy will post 6.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.065 per share. The ex-dividend date 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 65.24%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the 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 owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. This represents a 14.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.37, for a total transaction of $2,487,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 96,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,952,205.74. This trade represents a 17.23% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Duke Energy

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 78,258,757 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $9,172,709,000 after buying an additional 1,957,592 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 19,292,633 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,266,675,000 after buying an additional 230,375 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,931,127 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,046,818,000 after purchasing an additional 58,375 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,236,893 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $965,446,000 after purchasing an additional 954,907 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 0.4% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,758,700 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $960,139,000 after purchasing an additional 31,703 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lower interest rates could be a tailwind for Duke Energy because they may reduce refinancing costs and make the utility’s dividend yield more attractive to income-focused investors. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlighted Duke Energy as a reliable “safe haven” dividend stock, noting 100 consecutive years of quarterly payouts and reinforcing the company’s appeal as a defensive utility holding. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Ohio Supreme Court news that Duke Energy can charge customers to close retired propane caverns supports recovery of utility costs and may ease regulatory pressure on earnings. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy Foundation announced $830,000 in America250 grants, completing more than $1 million in civic and history-related funding across its service territory. The initiative is positive for community relations but unlikely to move the stock materially. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several operational items, including nuclear siren testing and storm-related outage coverage, reflect routine utility activity and severe weather response rather than a clear fundamental change. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage about Duke seeking higher rates alongside gas-plant plans colliding with clean-energy goals could signal continued regulatory friction and uncertainty around future capital spending and approvals. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A report on Duke Energy resource planning proceedings noted a pro-coal commissioner’s absence, underscoring ongoing debate around the company’s generation mix and long-term energy strategy. Article Title

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.