Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. Sells 14,203 Shares of Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Key Points

• Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors trimmed its stake in Duke Energy by 11.7%, selling 14,203 shares and leaving 106,935 shares worth about $12.53 million at quarter-end.
• Duke Energy beat expectations for the quarter (EPS $1.50 vs. $1.49, revenue $7.94B) and the stock trades near $132 with a market cap of ~$102.6B; analysts' consensus is a "Hold" with an average price target of $139.33.
• Insider selling was notable: CEO Louis Renjel sold 6,800 shares and SVP Regis Repko sold 962 shares, leaving insiders with roughly 0.12% ownership.

Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. trimmed its holdings in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 11.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 106,935 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 14,203 shares during the quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P.'s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $12,534,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in DUK. Dorato Capital Management bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Wiser Advisor Group LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Bare Financial Services Inc grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 211.1% during the 3rd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 280 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Duke Energy Stock Down 0.8%

Duke Energy stock opened at $131.90 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. Duke Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $111.22 and a 12-month high of $134.49. The firm's fifty day moving average is $128.82 and its 200 day moving average is $123.89. The company has a market capitalization of $102.63 billion, a PE ratio of 20.87 and a beta of 0.46.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The utilities provider reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.01. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.41% and a return on equity of 9.66%. The company had revenue of $7.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.57 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.66 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.86, for a total transaction of $123,001.32. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 3,896 shares in the company, valued at $498,142.56. The trade was a 19.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 22,007 shares in the company, valued at $2,809,633.69. The trade was a 23.61% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.12% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $141.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective 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. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective 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. Evercore reaffirmed an "in-line" rating and issued a $139.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $139.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Duke Energy presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $139.33.

Duke Energy 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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