Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Price Target Lowered to $138.00 at BMO Capital Markets

Key Points

• BMO Capital Markets trimmed its price target for Duke Energy to $138 (from $139), implying about a 10.5% upside, while the analyst consensus target is roughly $140.67 and the stock has a "Moderate Buy" average rating.
• Duke beat Q1 expectations (EPS $1.93 vs. $1.87 consensus; revenue $9.18B vs. $8.44B), reaffirmed FY2026 guidance of $6.55–$6.80 EPS, and reported roughly 2.7 GW of newly contracted data‑center load as a key growth driver.
• Shares traded near $124.84 (market cap ~$97.1B, P/E ~19.1) following disclosed insider sales by the CEO and an SVP that reduced their stakes, while institutional investors own about 65.3% of the stock.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) had its price target lowered by investment analysts at BMO Capital Markets from $139.00 to $138.00 in a report released on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. BMO Capital Markets' price objective would suggest a potential upside of 10.54% from the company's previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the company. UBS Group boosted their price target on Duke Energy from $136.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Truist Financial assumed coverage on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Monday, April 20th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $142.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Duke Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $143.00 to $140.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $125.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $140.67.

Duke Energy Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE DUK traded down $0.70 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $124.84. The company had a trading volume of 206,428 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,114,707. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.66. Duke Energy has a twelve month low of $111.22 and a twelve month high of $134.49. The stock's 50 day moving average is $129.80 and its 200-day moving average is $124.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $97.14 billion, a PE ratio of 19.10 and a beta of 0.41.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.06. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.73% and a net margin of 15.49%.The firm had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $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. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Duke Energy will post 6.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Duke Energy news, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.86, for a total value of $123,001.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 3,896 shares of the company's stock, valued at $498,142.56. This represents a 19.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.67, for a total value of $868,156.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 22,007 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,809,633.69. This represents a 23.61% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Duke Energy

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of DUK. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Duke Energy by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 78,258,757 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $9,172,709,000 after acquiring an additional 1,957,592 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 56.9% during the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 2,662,460 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $312,067,000 after buying an additional 965,808 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,236,893 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $965,446,000 after buying an additional 954,907 shares in the last quarter. Milford Funds Ltd. bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $97,905,000. Finally, Cohen & Steers Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 83.3% during the fourth quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 1,711,445 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $200,598,000 after acquiring an additional 777,878 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company's stock.

Key Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings and guidance: Duke beat consensus on EPS and revenue (Q1 results showed revenue growth and an EPS beat), and reaffirmed its FY2026 EPS range of $6.55–$6.80, supporting near‑term upside. Duke Energy Q1 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Data‑center growth: Duke announced roughly 2.7 GW of newly contracted data‑center load and a surging pipeline (ESAs expanding), which increases long‑term contracted demand and capital deployment opportunities. This is a key growth driver investors are rewarding. Data Center Deals
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Mizuho raised its price target to $139 and assigned an "outperform" — reinforcing buy‑side conviction after the quarterly beat and growth commentary. Mizuho Price Target Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory approvals & cost‑savings narrative: State regulators have approved utility consolidations and Duke highlights multibillion dollar customer savings from planned mergers, reducing regulatory friction and supporting long‑term efficiency. Merger Approval
• Neutral Sentiment: Florida refund approved: Regulators approved a $90.5M refund to Duke Energy Florida customers for storm cost over‑collections — a one‑time cash outflow and customer goodwill item; limited earnings impact but reduces near‑term cash retention. Florida Refund
• Neutral Sentiment: Customer bill impact explained: Multiple outlets note the refund will modestly lower summer bills for Florida customers; important for PR and political risk but not a material hit to consolidated earnings. Refund Explained
• Negative Sentiment: Political and public pushback on rates: Proposed rate increases are facing fierce public and political resistance (including retirement community concerns), which could complicate future regulatory filings and rate recovery. Rate‑Hike Pushback
• Negative Sentiment: Activist protests and reputational risk: Climate activists publicly targeted state officials and labeled company allies “complicit,” highlighting reputational and political risk that can impact regulatory dynamics. Climate Activist Protest
• Negative Sentiment: Cost and interest‑rate pressure: Coverage of the quarter noted rising costs and higher interest expense weighing on margins—factors that cap near‑term upside despite the beat. Rising Costs & Interest Expense

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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