Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Now Covered by TD Cowen

Key Points

• TD Cowen has initiated coverage on Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK), assigning a "buy" rating and a price target of $143.00, indicating an expected upside of 11.09% from its previous close.
• Recent earnings show Duke Energy reported a net margin of 15.51% with a revenue of $7.51 billion for the last quarter, marking a 4.7% increase year-over-year, although EPS of $1.25 missed estimates.
• Overall, Duke Energy has garnered a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" among analysts, with eleven rating it as a buy and six as a hold, reflecting positive investor sentiment.

Research analysts at TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) in a report issued on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage set a "buy" rating and a $143.00 price target on the utilities provider's stock. TD Cowen's price target suggests a potential upside of 11.09% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on DUK. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Cowen assumed coverage on Duke Energy in a research report on Wednesday. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $127.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. Finally, Evercore ISI initiated coverage on Duke Energy in a research report on Monday, October 6th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $143.00 target price on the stock. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $136.08.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:DUK opened at $128.73 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $100.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.93, a P/E/G ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 0.44. Duke Energy has a 1-year low of $105.20 and a 1-year high of $128.99. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $123.24 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $120.04. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.29 by ($0.04). Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.51% and a return on equity of 9.85%. The business had revenue of $7.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.07 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.18 earnings per share. Duke Energy's revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Duke Energy has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.170-6.420 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Duke Energy will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Duke Energy

In other news, EVP Thomas Preston Jr. Gillespie sold 6,700 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.26, for a total value of $832,542.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 46,422 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,768,397.72. The trade was a 12.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Bonnie B. Titone sold 2,000 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.38, for a total value of $248,760.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 19,608 shares in the company, valued at $2,438,843.04. This trade represents a 9.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Duke Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of DUK. Activest Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 98.1% during the first quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 212 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Duke Energy in the first quarter valued at $27,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Mascoma Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Duke Energy by 53.7% during the 2nd quarter. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC now owns 249 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company's stock.

About Duke Energy

Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through two segments: Electric Utilities and Infrastructure (EU&I), and Gas Utilities and Infrastructure (GU&I). The EU&I segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest.

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