Duke Energy Corporation $DUK Shares Acquired by Gateway Wealth Partners LLC

Key Points

• Gateway Wealth Partners increased its Duke Energy position by 305.9% in the first quarter, owning 13,635 shares valued at approximately $1.785 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 65.31% of the stock.
• Duke Energy reported quarterly EPS of $1.93, exceeding the $1.87 analyst consensus, while revenue rose 11.3% year over year to $9.18 billion. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.085, equivalent to a 3.4% annualized yield.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $138.62 versus the reported share price of $129.36. However, two CEOs recently sold shares, and regulatory opposition over data-center-related rate increases remains a potential risk.

Gateway Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 305.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,635 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 10,276 shares during the quarter. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $1,785,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in DUK. Basso Capital Management L.P. purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Dorato Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 1,111.1% in the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 218 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management boosted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of Duke Energy stock opened at $129.36 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $125.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $126.02. Duke Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $113.89 and a fifty-two week high of $134.49. The firm has a market cap of $100.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.81, a P/E/G ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 the consensus estimate of $8.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.76 EPS. Duke Energy's quarterly revenue was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a $1.085 dividend. This is a boost from Duke Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 65.24%.

Duke Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Duke Energy’s upcoming earnings to grow and identify factors that could support an earnings beat. A favorable report could reinforce investor confidence in the company’s regulated growth outlook. Duke Energy Earnings Expected to Grow
• Positive Sentiment: Duke says expanding data-center demand should create long-term customer savings, suggesting a potential source of load growth and infrastructure investment. The company also promised not to raise rates to cover data-center costs, which may reduce near-term political and customer backlash. Duke Energy Says Data Center Growth Will Deliver Long-Term Customer Savings Duke Energy Promises No Rate Hikes
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparable utility results were encouraging: DTE Energy beat second-quarter estimates despite a year-over-year earnings decline, while CenterPoint Energy reported an adjusted earnings beat and 10.7% revenue growth. The reports provide sector context but do not directly change Duke’s earnings outlook. DTE Energy Q2 Earnings CenterPoint Energy Q2 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: The Duke Energy Foundation announced another $1 million for North Carolina nonprofits, taking total customer-assistance and community support above $65 million since 2016. The initiative may strengthen community relations but has limited direct earnings impact. Duke Energy North Carolina Customer Assistance
• Negative Sentiment: North Carolina officials and an attorney general are pressing Duke to protect ratepayers from data-center-related costs. Although Duke reduced its proposed rate increase and says data centers will not drive customer rate hikes, continued political and regulatory opposition could delay approvals or constrain returns. Attorney General Calls for Data Center Protections Duke Energy Rate Increase Opposition
• Negative Sentiment: Storm-related outages left thousands of Duke customers without power, creating potential near-term restoration costs and reputational pressure. Duke Energy Power Outages

Insider Buying and Selling at Duke Energy

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on DUK shares. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Monday, May 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on Duke Energy from $143.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Capitol Sec Mgt lowered shares of Duke Energy from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $137.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, KeyCorp upgraded shares of Duke Energy from a "sector weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $139.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $138.62.

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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