Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd Reduces Position in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Key Points

• Dai ichi Life Insurance cut its Duke Energy stake by 7% in Q1, selling 9,793 shares and leaving it with 129,880 shares valued at about $17.0 million.
• Duke Energy reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $1.93 beating estimates and revenue of $9.18 billion topping expectations; analysts still expect 6.72 EPS for the full year.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.085 per share, implying an annualized payout of $4.34 and a 3.3% yield, while analysts maintained a Moderate Buy consensus with an average target price of $138.62.

Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd lowered its position in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 7.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 129,880 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 9,793 shares during the quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $17,006,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Basso Capital Management L.P. purchased a new stake in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Dorato Capital Management purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Duke Energy by 1,111.1% in the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 218 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Triumph Capital Management raised its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 68.6% in the fourth quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 231 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Duke Energy Trading Up 1.0%

NYSE DUK opened at $130.54 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $101.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.38. Duke Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $113.89 and a 52-week high of $134.49. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $125.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $125.79.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.44 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.76 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.72 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $1.085 dividend. This represents a $4.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. This is a boost from Duke Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.46%.

Duke Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp reiterated an Overweight rating on Duke Energy and raised its longer-term earnings outlook, nudging up FY2027, FY2028, and FY2029 EPS estimates. The firm also kept a $139 price target, suggesting confidence in Duke’s earnings growth trajectory.
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy unveiled its Customer Protection Plus framework, designed to support rapid data center-driven power demand while aiming to deliver billions in customer savings. Investors may view this as a constructive way to monetize infrastructure growth without triggering excessive pushback from customers. Duke Energy (DUK) Unveils Customer Savings Plan To Back Data Center Growth
• Positive Sentiment: The company also announced a higher quarterly dividend, reinforcing Duke Energy’s appeal as an income stock and helping attract dividend-focused investors. Can Duke Energy (DUK) Justify Its Price As Its Higher Dividend Draws Attention?
• Neutral Sentiment: North Carolina leaders and regulators are pressuring Duke Energy to make its federal data-center pledge legally binding. This could support accountability and customer trust, but it also raises regulatory scrutiny around future growth plans.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory criticism of Duke’s proposed rate increases remains a headwind, with North Carolina’s attorney general saying the lowered request is still too high. That could add pressure to future profitability if rate approvals become more difficult.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Duke Energy news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 directly owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. The trade was a 14.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.37, for a total transaction of $2,487,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 96,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,952,205.74. This trade represents a 17.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Duke Energy from $135.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Wall Street Zen raised Duke Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. Morgan Stanley set a $138.00 target price on Duke Energy in a research note on Wednesday. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Thursday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Duke Energy from $143.00 to $138.00 in a report on Monday, May 11th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $138.62.

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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