Franklin Resources Inc. Buys 288,499 Shares of Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Key Points

• Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in Duke Energy by 4.1%, buying 288,499 shares to hold 7,281,986 shares (about 0.94%) valued at roughly $901.15 million.
• Duke priced an upsized $1.3 billion 3.00% convertible senior note due 2029 — a potentially dilutive debt raise — while also facing regulatory and customer pressure, including demands for an audit after a spike in bills and local opposition to a gas‑fired plant.
• Duke pays a quarterly dividend of $1.065 (annualized $4.26) for a 3.3% yield, and analyst coverage is mixed with an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $137.80.

Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,281,986 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 288,499 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned approximately 0.94% of Duke Energy worth $901,146,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in DUK. Pflug Koory LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 3.0% in the third quarter. Pflug Koory LLC now owns 2,694 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $333,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. WealthShield Partners LLC boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 0.3% in the second quarter. WealthShield Partners LLC now owns 25,453 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $3,003,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Cypress Wealth Services LLC grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 1.7% in the third quarter. Cypress Wealth Services LLC now owns 5,048 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $625,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. EWA LLC grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 3.9% in the third quarter. EWA LLC now owns 2,203 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $273,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 4.6% during the third quarter. Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,854 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $229,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Duke Energy

In related news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.67, for a total value of $868,156.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 22,007 shares in the company, valued at $2,809,633.69. This represents a 23.61% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.86, for a total value of $123,001.32. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 3,896 shares in the company, valued at approximately $498,142.56. This represents a 19.80% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on DUK shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group increased their price target on Duke Energy from $136.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Duke Energy from $136.00 to $126.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 11th. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and set a $141.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $139.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $137.80.

Trending Headlines about Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Reached settlement agreements with North Carolina and South Carolina customer advocates and the NC Attorney General on the proposed combination of Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress — settlements promise "measurable, trackable" customer savings and reduce regulatory uncertainty around the merger. PR Newswire — NC settlement
• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on DUK to $140 (from $136), signaling some analyst confidence in Duke's earnings and strategic outlook. MarketScreener — UBS price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader weakness in energy names: the NYSE Energy Sector Index fell, weighing on utility/energy stocks generally and adding sector headwinds to Duke's share movement. Yahoo Finance — sector update
• Negative Sentiment: Duke priced an upsized private placement of $1.3B 3.000% convertible senior notes due 2029 — debt/convertible issuance can dilute equity on conversion and raises leverage, which investors often view as a near‑term negative despite low coupon. (The deal started as a $1B proposed offering.) PR Newswire — convertible notes
• Negative Sentiment: Thousands of customers are calling for an audit after a spike in power bills — heightened regulatory scrutiny and customer frustration can lead to political/regulatory costs and reputational risk. MSN — audit demands after bill spike
• Negative Sentiment: Local opposition as Duke plans a gas‑fired plant expansion — neighbors raise air‑pollution and health concerns, which can delay projects and increase permitting/legal costs. Independent Mail — community opposition
• Negative Sentiment: Reliability issues reported in local outages (e.g., Davie County schools delayed due to power outages) — short‑term reliability incidents can amplify regulatory and PR pressure. MSN — outages/school delay
• Negative Sentiment: Local reporting says NC carbon emissions may rise as Duke recommits to fossil fuels — ESG concerns could affect investor sentiment and attract regulatory/activist scrutiny. News & Observer — carbon/emissions story

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Duke Energy stock opened at $129.68 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $123.09 and a 200-day simple moving average of $122.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.33. The stock has a market cap of $100.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.50. Duke Energy Corporation has a 1-year low of $111.22 and a 1-year high of $132.65.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The utilities provider reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.01. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.66% and a net margin of 15.41%.The company had revenue of $7.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.57 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.66 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.065 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.41%.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.