Duke Energy Corporation $DUK Shares Sold by Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co

Key Points

• Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co cut its Duke Energy stake by 28.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 50,500 shares and ending with 124,500 shares valued at about $14.6 million.
• Two Duke Energy CEOs also sold shares recently: Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares and Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares, reducing their ownership positions by 14.05% and 17.23%, respectively.
• Analysts remain mixed but slightly positive on the stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $139.07; Duke also reported quarterly earnings above expectations and declared a $1.065 per share dividend.

Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co decreased its stake in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 28.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 124,500 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 50,500 shares during the quarter. Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $14,593,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of DUK. Dorato Capital Management acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Duke Energy by 300.0% during the 4th quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 280 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its stake in Duke Energy by 13,750.0% during the 4th quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 277 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Duke Energy

In other Duke Energy news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 96,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,952,205.74. The trade was a 17.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on DUK. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target 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. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Truist Financial cut their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $142.00 to $137.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $141.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $139.07.

More Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy was named among the utilities to watch as wind energy adoption and broader clean-power demand continue to rise, which could support long-term load growth and investment opportunities. Top Wind Energy Stocks to Watch Amid Increased Adoption of Clean Energy
• Positive Sentiment: The Duke Energy Foundation announced $500,000 in grants to improve hurricane preparedness in North Carolina, reinforcing its focus on storm readiness and community resilience ahead of hurricane season. Ahead of hurricane season, Duke Energy Foundation awards $500,000 to strengthen storm preparedness across North Carolina
• Positive Sentiment: South Carolina regulators approved Duke Energy’s new nonresidential demand response program, which lets customers earn bill credits while helping the utility manage peak demand and improve grid reliability. New Duke Energy program helps South Carolina nonresidential customers lower costs while supporting a growing grid
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles note that investors are closely watching Duke Energy’s shares, but they do not point to a major new fundamental catalyst by themselves. Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley cut its price target on Duke Energy to $132 from $141 while keeping an Equal Weight rating, which may temper sentiment but does not indicate a bearish call. Morgan Stanley Revises Duke Energy (DUK) Valuation Following Utility Sector Update
• Negative Sentiment: News that the Supreme Court affirmed Duke Energy’s rate hikes may keep regulatory risk in focus, since approved increases can still draw political and customer scrutiny. Duke Energy rate hikes affirmed by Supreme Court

Duke Energy Stock Down 1.3%

DUK stock opened at $123.70 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $96.43 billion, a PE ratio of 18.94 and a beta of 0.41. 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 firm's fifty day moving average is $127.61 and its 200 day moving average is $124.05. Duke Energy Corporation has a one year low of $113.39 and a one year high of $134.49.

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

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.065 per share. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 65.24%.

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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