Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. Buys New Position in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Key Points

• Eurizon Capital SGR opened a new position in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter, buying 169,888 shares worth about $19.9 million.
• Institutional interest remains strong, with 65.31% of Duke Energy’s stock held by institutional investors and several other hedge funds increasing or initiating positions.
• Duke Energy reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.93 versus $1.87 expected and revenue of $9.18 billion, while analysts currently hold a Moderate Buy consensus and a price target of $139.07.

Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 169,888 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $19,920,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of DUK. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 11.6% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,754 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $728,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 19.6% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 23,162 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $2,825,000 after purchasing an additional 3,797 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 1.0% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 31,238 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $3,686,000 after purchasing an additional 315 shares during the period. AXA S.A. boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 523.4% in the second quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 42,233 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $4,983,000 after purchasing an additional 35,458 shares during the period. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the second quarter worth $954,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

DUK has been the subject of a number of research reports. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $127.00 to $143.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Duke Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $137.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Evercore upped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $142.00 to $137.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $139.07.

Duke Energy Trading Down 0.9%

DUK stock opened at $122.62 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $95.59 billion, a PE ratio of 18.78 and a beta of 0.41. Duke Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $113.39 and a 12 month high of $134.49. The firm's 50-day moving average is $127.44 and its 200 day moving average is $124.04. 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 (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.06. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 9.73%. The company had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.44 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.76 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $1.065 dividend. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 65.24%.

More Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy Florida announced a third rate reduction this year, cutting residential bills by roughly 25% for summer months, which could improve customer goodwill and political/regulatory relations. Duke Energy Florida implements third rate reduction to lower residential customer bills by approximately 25% in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy Foundation awarded $500,000 in North Carolina grants to strengthen hurricane preparedness, underscoring resilience planning ahead of storm season. Ahead of hurricane season, Duke Energy Foundation awards $500,000 to strengthen storm preparedness across North Carolina
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor interest has been rising in Duke Energy as Zacks highlighted the stock and clean-energy/wind-sector themes that keep DUK in focus. Top Wind Energy Stocks to Watch Amid Increased Adoption of Clean Energy
• Neutral Sentiment: Work continues on the $250 million redevelopment of Duke Energy’s former headquarters in uptown Charlotte, a long-term real estate milestone that is not expected to materially change near-term fundamentals. In uptown Charlotte, $250M revamp of old Duke Energy headquarters hits a milestone
• Negative Sentiment: The Florida rate cuts could weigh on revenue growth expectations in Duke Energy’s regulated utility business, even as they support customer affordability. Duke Energy Florida implements third rate reduction to lower residential customer bills by approximately 25% in 2026

Insider Transactions at Duke Energy

In other news, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.37, for a total value of $2,487,400.00. Following the sale, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, 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 transaction of $438,025.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at $2,680,087.25. This represents a 14.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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