Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. Buys 17,883 Shares of Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Key Points

• Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its Duke Energy stake by 13.8% in the fourth quarter, buying 17,883 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 147,762 shares worth about $17.3 million.
• Duke Energy reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.93 versus $1.87 expected and revenue of $9.18 billion versus $8.44 billion forecast, while revenue rose 11.3% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.065 per share, equal to an annualized $4.26 and a 3.4% yield, while analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $139.67.

Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its holdings in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 13.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 147,762 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 17,883 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc.'s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $17,319,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in DUK. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 11.6% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,754 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $728,000 after buying an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 19.6% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 23,162 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $2,825,000 after buying an additional 3,797 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 31,238 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $3,686,000 after buying an additional 315 shares during the last quarter. AXA S.A. grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 523.4% during the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 42,233 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $4,983,000 after purchasing an additional 35,458 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at about $954,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Duke Energy stock opened at $124.59 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $97.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.08 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.44. Duke Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $113.39 and a 1 year high of $134.49. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $128.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $124.02.

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 the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.44 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 9.73%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.76 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented 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 report on Wednesday, May 13th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $142.00 to $141.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $143.00 to $140.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $127.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $141.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. 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.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $139.67.

Key Stories Impacting Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy said its latest earnings call showed progress on a massive growth plan, reinforcing the company’s long-term investment and earnings outlook. Duke Energy EPS Jumps as Massive Growth Plan Advances
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy Indiana began construction on an expansion of the Cayuga power plant, a sign of ongoing infrastructure investment that could support future capacity and regulated returns. Duke Energy Indiana begins construction on expanding Cayuga power plant
• Positive Sentiment: The Duke Energy Foundation announced more than $250,000 in grants to support veterans’ career pathways across six states, reinforcing its community-investment profile. Duke Energy Foundation Invests Over $250,000 to Support Veterans' Career Pathways Across 6 States
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy also launched home-assessment efforts aimed at helping customers lower energy bills and improve efficiency, which is supportive of customer relations but unlikely to move the stock on its own. Duke Energy offers home assessments to keep energy bills low, efficient
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s foundation also awarded $50,000 to Florida veteran organizations, a positive public-relations move but not a material earnings driver. Duke Energy Foundation awards 50,000 to organizations honoring and supporting Florida veterans
• Negative Sentiment: A reported power outage in Clayton tied to underground line issues may remind investors of operational and reliability risks, though it appears to be an isolated incident. Thousands lose power in Clayton after issue with underground lines, Duke Energy says

Insider Transactions at Duke Energy

In other news, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.86, for a total value of $123,001.32. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 3,896 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $498,142.56. This represents a 19.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the company'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 transaction of $438,025.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 21,415 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,680,087.25. The trade was a 14.05% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 24,462 shares of company stock valued at $3,048,426. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

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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