Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Duke Energy has a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy” from 18 analysts, with an average 12-month price target of $140.
• The company recently beat earnings expectations, reporting $1.93 EPS versus $1.87 expected and $9.18 billion in revenue versus $8.44 billion expected, while revenue rose 11.3% year over year.
• Duke Energy also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.065 per share, implying an annualized payout of $4.26 and a 3.5% yield.

Shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) have received an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the eighteen analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $140.00.

DUK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Monday, May 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $141.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $135.00 to $136.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $143.00 to $138.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and set a $141.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Friday, January 30th.

Duke Energy Stock Down 2.7%

Shares of DUK stock opened at $120.98 on Friday. 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 moving average is $128.90 and its 200-day moving average is $124.06. The stock has a market cap of $94.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.53 and a beta of 0.41. Duke Energy has a 52-week low of $113.39 and a 52-week high of $134.49.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last issued 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. The company had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.44 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 9.73%. Duke Energy's quarterly revenue was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.76 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Duke Energy will post 6.7 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $1.065 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.5%. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.24%.

More Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy held a groundbreaking ceremony for its Cayuga Energy Complex, signaling continued investment in its generation and infrastructure buildout, which can support future regulated-rate growth. Duke Energy holds a groundbreaking ceremony for their Cayuga Energy Complex
• Positive Sentiment: The company reported that no toxic algae was found at the Lake Norman site after an earlier state finding, which may reduce environmental and reputational concerns. Duke Energy: No toxic algae found at Lake Norman site where state said it was
• Neutral Sentiment: DUK remains a heavily watched stock, with investor attention likely reflecting interest in its defensive utility profile and upcoming rate/regulatory developments. Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Duke Energy’s North Carolina rate-increase hearing was postponed could delay a key catalyst for earnings and cash-flow improvement, but the impact is still uncertain. Duke Energy rate-increase hearing postponed over missed scheduling deadline
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s claims that a merger will save customers $2.3 billion and news about combining its two North Carolina utilities may help long-term efficiency, but investors are likely waiting to see regulatory details. Duke Energy claims merger to save customers $2.3 billion, double initial estimate
• Negative Sentiment: Questions around North Carolina policy and legal issues tied to Duke Energy’s solar plans could add uncertainty to future capital spending and regulatory approval. Shunning the sunshine? NC order for Duke Energy to hit brakes on solar raises policy, legal questions

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of Duke Energy 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 96,102 shares of the company's stock, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.86, for a total transaction of $123,001.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 3,896 shares in the company, valued at $498,142.56. This trade represents a 19.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 24,462 shares of company stock worth $3,048,426 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duke Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of DUK. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,046,000. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. increased its stake in Duke Energy by 11.3% in the third quarter. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. now owns 274,630 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $33,985,000 after acquiring an additional 27,820 shares during the last quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. increased its stake in Duke Energy by 9.2% in the third quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 150,426 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $18,615,000 after acquiring an additional 12,677 shares during the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH increased its stake in Duke Energy by 13.4% in the third quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 371,248 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $45,942,000 after acquiring an additional 43,925 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AE Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Duke Energy by 51.9% in the third quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 49,068 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $6,072,000 after acquiring an additional 16,772 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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