21,981 Duke Energy Corporation $DUK Shares Sold by Commonwealth Equity Services LLC

Key Points

• Commonwealth Equity Services cut its Duke Energy stake by 4.2%, selling 21,981 shares in the third quarter; it ended the period with 500,129 shares valued at about $57.0 million.
• Duke Energy’s quarterly results beat estimates: EPS was $1.99 versus $1.86 expected, and revenue rose 6.6% year over year to $9.1 billion. The company also raised the lower end of its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.085 per share, equivalent to an annualized yield of about 3.4%; analysts’ average price target was $132.19, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating.

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lowered its stake in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 500,129 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 21,981 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC owned 0.06% of Duke Energy worth $57,020,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Evergreen Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the first quarter worth $36,000. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Compass Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Dynamic Wealth Strategies LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 1st quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, Gill Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 128.9% in the 2nd quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC now owns 309 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 174 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Duke Energy

In related news, EVP Bonnie Titone sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.00, for a total value of $371,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 26,111 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,342,208. This represents a 10.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE DUK opened at $127.91 on Friday. Duke Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $112.40 and a fifty-two week high of $134.49. The stock has a market cap of $99.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.70, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.68. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $119.84 and its 200 day simple moving average is $124.51.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $9.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.91 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.82% and a net margin of 15.94%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.81 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 16th. Investors of record on Friday, November 13th will be given a dividend of $1.0850 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 13th. This represents a $4.34 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Duke Energy's payout ratio is presently 65.17%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DUK has been the topic of a number of research reports. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on Duke Energy from $134.00 to $132.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. KeyCorp reduced their price objective on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $128.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Barclays decreased their price objective on Duke Energy from $132.00 to $124.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 9th. Truist Financial lowered their target price on Duke Energy from $135.00 to $130.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $132.19.

Key Headlines Impacting Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted earnings were $1.99 per share, ahead of estimates, while revenue rose 6.6% year over year to $9.1 billion. Duke also lifted the lower end of its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance, to a range of $6.70–$6.80. Article: Duke 3Q Net Up, Boosts Lower End of 2026 Adjusted EPS View
• Positive Sentiment: Data-center demand and population growth are supporting the outlook. Duke says its large-load pipeline is about 15.4 GW and is maintaining a growth strategy backed by a $103 billion capital plan. Article: Duke Energy to stay course on data center-fueled growth plan
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy Florida received approval for lower 2027 rates after using a tax approach that avoided a planned base-rate increase. Lower bills may benefit customers, while potentially limiting revenue growth. Article: Florida PSC approved request by Duke Energy Florida to reduce rates
• Negative Sentiment: The scale of the capital plan and the need for regulatory approvals create execution and financing risks. A proposed gas facility in Davidson County is also drawing community opposition, adding potential local permitting challenges. Article: Davidson County commissioners to vote on controversial Duke Energy gas facility

About Duke Energy

Duke Energy is a U.S. energy company focused primarily on regulated electric utilities and natural gas distribution. Its businesses generate, transmit and distribute electricity, and provide natural gas service to residential, commercial and industrial customers.

The company serves electric customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Its natural gas distribution operations serve customers in several states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Duke Energy's power generation portfolio includes nuclear, natural gas, coal, hydroelectric and renewable resources.

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