Constant Guidance Financial LLC Makes New Investment in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Key Points

• Constant Guidance Financial LLC opened a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter, buying 8,300 shares valued at about $973,000. The holding now makes up roughly 0.7% of its portfolio.
• Duke Energy reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.93 versus the $1.87 consensus and revenue of $9.18 billion, up 11.3% year over year. Analysts expect the company to earn 6.71 EPS for the full fiscal year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.065 per share, or $4.26 annually, for a yield of about 3.4%. Duke Energy also saw mixed analyst sentiment, including a lower price target from Morgan Stanley and a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

Constant Guidance Financial LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 8,300 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $973,000. Duke Energy comprises about 0.7% of Constant Guidance Financial LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in DUK. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,046,000. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 9.2% during the 3rd quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 150,426 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $18,615,000 after purchasing an additional 12,677 shares in the last quarter. Reaves W H & Co. Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 1,118.3% during the 3rd quarter. Reaves W H & Co. Inc. now owns 99,459 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $12,308,000 after purchasing an additional 91,295 shares in the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH boosted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 13.4% during the 3rd quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 371,248 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $45,942,000 after purchasing an additional 43,925 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AE Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 51.9% during the 3rd quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 49,068 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $6,072,000 after purchasing an additional 16,772 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors 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: South Carolina regulators approved Duke Energy’s new PowerShare Storage program, which lets nonresidential customers earn bill credits by using storage assets to help manage peak demand. The move supports grid reliability while creating a customer-friendly revenue opportunity. New Duke Energy program helps South Carolina nonresidential customers lower costs while supporting a growing grid
• Positive Sentiment: The Duke Energy Foundation awarded $130,000 to Florida organizations for storm preparedness and community resiliency ahead of hurricane season, reinforcing the company’s focus on protecting critical infrastructure and reducing outage risk. Ahead of hurricane season, Duke Energy Foundation awards $130,000 to 10 organizations advancing storm preparedness and community resiliency
• Positive Sentiment: Another report said Duke Energy grants in Florida are tied to long-term grid resilience and storm readiness, which may help reduce operational disruptions and support its regulated utility profile. Duke Energy Grants Tie Florida Storm Readiness To Long Term Grid Risks
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley lowered its price target on Duke Energy to $132 from $141 but kept an Equal Weight rating, suggesting a more cautious valuation view rather than a major change in fundamentals. Morgan Stanley Revises Duke Energy (DUK) Valuation Following Utility Sector Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noting that utilities have lagged Duke Energy this year appears more descriptive than catalytic, and is unlikely to be a major near-term driver by itself. Are Utilities Stocks Lagging Duke Energy (DUK) This Year?
• Negative Sentiment: The stock may face some pressure from commentary highlighting that Duke Energy has already rallied relative to peers, while broader utility-sector performance remains mixed. Are Utilities Stocks Lagging Duke Energy (DUK) This Year?
• Positive Sentiment: A report that Duke Energy rate hikes were affirmed by the Supreme Court is supportive for earnings visibility and regulated returns, which is generally favorable for utility investors. Duke Energy rate hikes affirmed by Supreme Court

Duke Energy Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of Duke Energy stock opened at $125.30 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $97.68 billion, a PE ratio of 19.19 and a beta of 0.41. Duke Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $113.39 and a 52-week high of $134.49. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $127.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $124.05.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.06. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 9.73%. The business had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.44 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.76 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $1.065 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Duke Energy's payout ratio is currently 65.24%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on DUK shares. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $127.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $141.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Friday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $136.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price 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. Finally, Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $130.00 to $139.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $139.07.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.37, for a total value of $2,487,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 96,102 shares in the company, valued at $11,952,205.74. The trade was a 17.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.15, for a total transaction of $438,025.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 21,415 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,680,087.25. This trade represents a 14.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

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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