Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Truist Financial

Key Points

• Truist Financial upgraded Duke Energy to a "Strong-Buy" — the note arrived Monday amid mixed analyst coverage (1 Strong Buy, 9 Buy, 9 Hold) and a consensus price target of $140.50 with an overall "Moderate Buy" rating.
• Duke beat the latest quarter's expectations (EPS $1.50 vs. $1.49; revenue $7.94B vs. $7.57B) and currently trades around $125.79 with a market cap of about $97.9 billion and a trailing PE of 19.9.
• While large institutions (Vanguard, Amundi, Franklin) have been adding shares, insiders including the CEO and an SVP have sold stock, and analysts warn the company’s planned $103B capex could compress its credit cushion.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Truist Financial to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on DUK. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $125.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $136.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Mizuho set a $130.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $141.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $140.50.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of DUK stock opened at $125.79 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.33. The firm's 50-day moving average is $129.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $124.18. Duke Energy has a 12 month low of $111.22 and a 12 month high of $134.49. The company has a market capitalization of $97.88 billion, a PE ratio of 19.90 and a beta of 0.46.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The utilities provider reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $7.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.57 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.41% and a return on equity of 9.66%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.66 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Duke Energy will post 6.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at approximately $498,142.56. The trade was a 19.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.67, for a total transaction of $868,156.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 22,007 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,809,633.69. This trade represents a 23.61% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

Duke Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo nudged its price target up to $136 (from $135) and reiterated an equal‑weight view, a modest supportive datapoint for the stock. Wells Fargo price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: A Wells Fargo analyst note reported in the press says Duke’s stock price is expected to rise, which can provide near‑term support for buying interest. Duke Energy stock expected to rise, Wells Fargo says
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage consensus across the street is an average rating of “Moderate Buy,” which is constructive for medium‑term investor sentiment. Duke receives average 'Moderate Buy' rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate/PR item: Duke Energy lineworkers advanced in a regional rodeo and will compete at the International Lineman’s Rodeo — a community/operations update with limited direct impact on valuation. Powering Reliability: Duke Energy lineworkers sharpen skills
• Negative Sentiment: Market reports note Duke has dipped more than the broader market today, signaling selling pressure that may be tied to the mixed analyst picture and technical weakness. Duke Energy sees a more significant dip
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target slightly (to $141 from $142) while keeping an equal‑weight rating — a modest negative signal that reduces upside expectations from that shop. Morgan Stanley adjusts price target
• Negative Sentiment: Opinion coverage flags Duke’s $103B capex plan and warns it could compress the company’s credit cushion despite a long dividend track record — a fundamental concern that can weigh on sentiment and multiple expansion. Capex compressing credit cushion (opinion)

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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