Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) CEO Sells $2,487,400.00 in Stock

Key Points

• CEO Harry Sideris sold 20,000 shares of Duke Energy stock on May 8 for about $2.49 million, reducing his holdings by 17.23%. The sale was disclosed in an SEC filing.
• Duke Energy shares were up slightly in Monday trading, while the stock remains near its 200-day average and within its 52-week range of $111.22 to $134.49. The company’s market cap is about $97.3 billion.
• Recent fundamentals look solid: Duke Energy beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, raised its FY 2026 EPS guidance, and announced a quarterly dividend of $1.065 per share payable June 16, implying a 3.4% yield.

Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) CEO Harry Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 96,102 shares in the company, valued at $11,952,205.74. This trade represents a 17.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Duke Energy Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE DUK traded up $0.64 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $124.81. The company had a trading volume of 2,255,547 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,113,384. The business's 50-day moving average is $129.72 and its 200-day moving average is $124.21. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. The stock has a market cap of $97.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.11 and a beta of 0.41. Duke Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $111.22 and a 52 week high of $134.49.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.44 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.76 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. Duke Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.550-6.80 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.065 per share. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 65.24%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duke Energy

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,046,000. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. grew its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 27,820 shares during the period. Alley Investment Management Company LLC grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 13.0% during the 3rd quarter. Alley Investment Management Company LLC now owns 88,018 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $10,892,000 after purchasing an additional 10,108 shares during the period. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 9.2% during the 3rd quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 150,426 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $18,615,000 after purchasing an additional 12,677 shares during the period. Finally, Keybank National Association OH grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 13.4% during the 3rd quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 371,248 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $45,942,000 after purchasing an additional 43,925 shares during the period. 65.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DUK has been the subject of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $138.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Capitol Sec Mgt lowered shares of Duke Energy from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $130.00 to $139.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $136.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $135.00 to $136.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $140.53.

Key Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy said it applied for U.S. Department of Energy loans that could deliver potentially billions of dollars in customer savings while funding grid upgrades and added capacity. That may support long-term growth and improve affordability for customers. Duke Energy applies for Department of Energy loans that represent potentially billions of dollars in customer savings
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive on Duke Energy, with Evercore raising its price target to $140 and Jefferies still implying upside even after trimming its target to $138. That suggests Wall Street sees room for shares to recover. Evercore raises Duke Energy price target
• Positive Sentiment: The company recently reported first-quarter results that beat expectations, reinforcing the view that Duke’s regulated utility business is delivering stable earnings and benefiting from demand tied to data center growth. Duke Energy (DUK) Exceeds Estimates in Q1 Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Duke Energy as a utility stock to watch for the data center surge may help investor sentiment, but it is more of a thematic reminder than a direct catalyst. Duke Energy (DUK) Exceeds Estimates in Q1 Report
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the positive headlines, recent trading has shown weakness and one report noted the shares have pulled back over the past week, suggesting some investors are still cautious about valuation and near-term upside. A Look At Duke Energy (DUK) Valuation As Long Term Returns Contrast With Recent Share Price Weakness

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.

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