Duke Energy Corporation $DUK Shares Bought by IFM Investors Pty Ltd

Key Points

• IFM Investors Pty Ltd increased its stake in Duke Energy by 19.8% in the first quarter, adding 37,036 shares to bring its total holdings to 224,461 shares worth about $29.4 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but constructive: Duke Energy has a Moderate Buy consensus rating, with nine Buy ratings and eight Hold ratings, and a consensus price target of $138.33.
• The company reported solid quarterly results, with EPS of $1.93 and revenue of $9.18 billion, both above estimates, while also paying a quarterly dividend of $1.065 per share for a 3.4% yield.

IFM Investors Pty Ltd lifted its holdings in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 19.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 224,461 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 37,036 shares during the period. IFM Investors Pty Ltd's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $29,391,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Basso Capital Management L.P. bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Dorato Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 1,111.1% in the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 218 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the third quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 68.6% during 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. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on DUK shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $143.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on Duke Energy from $142.00 to $137.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Duke Energy from $135.00 to $136.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Duke Energy from $132.00 to $136.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.33.

Insider Activity at Duke Energy

In related news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.15, for a total value of $438,025.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 21,415 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. The trade was a 14.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.37, for a total value of $2,487,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 96,102 shares in the company, valued at $11,952,205.74. This represents a 17.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Duke Energy

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

• Negative Sentiment: U.S. officials will buy back Duke Energy’s North Carolina offshore wind lease, and Duke will terminate the project in a settlement with the Department of the Interior. While Duke receives about $129 million, the move signals a retreat from a renewable project and raises questions about capital allocation and regulatory direction. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Several related reports on the wind lease termination suggest Duke is exiting a previously planned growth avenue, which may be viewed as a setback for its clean-energy expansion strategy. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Indiana regulators approved Duke’s $20 million project to serve a semiconductor manufacturer, a small but positive sign that the company is still winning regulated growth opportunities tied to industrial demand. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Duke highlighted nearly $1 billion in spending with North Carolina suppliers, reinforcing grid investment, domestic sourcing, and support for future electricity demand. That fits the utility’s long-term earnings-growth narrative. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company also launched an AI-powered Bill Insights tool for Carolinas customers, a modest but investor-friendly digital upgrade that may improve customer service and engagement during peak summer demand. Article Title

Duke Energy Trading Down 1.3%

NYSE DUK opened at $126.70 on Wednesday. Duke Energy Corporation has a 1-year low of $113.89 and a 1-year high of $134.49. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. The company has a market capitalization of $98.78 billion, a PE ratio of 19.40 and a beta of 0.39. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $124.94 and its 200-day simple moving average is $124.57.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) 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 firm had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.76 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

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

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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