Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus on Duke Energy, with 10 buy ratings and 8 holds among 18 analysts. The average 12-month price target is $138.63, above the reported share price of $126.29.
• Duke Energy’s latest quarter beat expectations, reporting $1.93 in EPS and $9.18 billion in revenue, while revenue rose 11.3% year over year. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.085, equivalent to a 3.4% annual yield.
• Growth is supported by grid investment, infrastructure projects and rising power demand, but North Carolina’s reduction of a proposed rate increase could limit near-term earnings growth. Two CEOs also recently sold shares, reducing their individual holdings.

Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the eighteen analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and ten have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $138.6250.

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on DUK shares. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $136.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Morgan Stanley set a $138.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $143.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, KeyCorp upgraded shares of Duke Energy from a "sector weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $139.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd.

More Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy is expected to report year-over-year second-quarter EPS growth, supported by ongoing grid investment, rising electricity demand and recent infrastructure milestones. The earnings preview may reinforce the company’s long-term growth narrative ahead of its results. Duke Energy to Release Q2 Earnings: What's in Store for the Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: The company plans to employ about 1,000 workers on multibillion-dollar electricity and natural-gas projects in North Carolina. The projects could expand Duke’s regulated asset base and position it to benefit from increasing regional power demand, although they also require substantial capital spending. Duke Energy to employ 1,000 to build multibillion-dollar power projects
• Positive Sentiment: Installation of underground power lines on Horatio Avenue should improve grid resilience and reliability, though the immediate financial impact is likely limited. Duke Energy starts installing underground power lines on Horatio Avenue
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent earnings results from other utilities, including WEC Energy, Exelon, NorthWestern and FirstEnergy, highlight continued benefits from rate-base growth, transmission investment and data-center demand. These reports offer a constructive sector backdrop but do not directly change Duke Energy’s earnings outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: The Duke Energy Foundation announced $300,000 in grants for more than 30 organizations serving older South Carolinians. The initiative supports community relations but is unlikely to materially affect earnings or valuation. Duke Energy Foundation provides $300,000 in grants
• Negative Sentiment: North Carolina regulators reportedly reduced a proposed Duke Energy rate increase nearly by half, although customer bills would still rise. The lower approved increase could constrain near-term revenue and earnings growth relative to Duke’s request. North Carolina Duke Energy rate hike is cut nearly in half
• Negative Sentiment: DUK declined while the market gained, indicating investors may be taking profits or reducing exposure before the Q2 earnings release. The stock’s move appears more tied to positioning and rate-case concerns than to a new earnings miss.

Insider Activity at Duke Energy

In other Duke Energy 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 transaction of $2,487,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 96,102 shares in the company, valued at $11,952,205.74. This represents a 17.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of Duke Energy 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 21,415 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. The trade was a 14.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.12% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Duke Energy

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Basso Capital Management L.P. acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Dorato Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 68.6% in the 4th quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 231 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company's stock.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of DUK stock opened at $126.29 on Friday. Duke Energy has a 12 month low of $113.89 and a 12 month high of $134.49. The company has a market capitalization of $98.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.34, a P/E/G ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.38. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $125.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $126.17. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.44 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.73% and a net margin of 15.49%.Duke Energy's quarterly revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.76 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Duke Energy will post 6.72 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a $1.085 dividend. This represents a $4.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is a boost from Duke Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Duke Energy's payout ratio is currently 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.

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