Maven Securities LTD Acquires New Shares in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Key Points

• Maven Securities LTD opened a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter, buying 13,450 shares valued at about $1.58 million.
• Duke Energy reported stronger-than-expected Q1 results, posting EPS of $1.93 versus estimates of $1.87 and revenue of $9.18 billion, up 11.3% year over year.
• The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.065 per share, implying an annualized yield of about 3.4%, while analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Moderate Buy.

Maven Securities LTD bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 13,450 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,576,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of DUK. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Duke Energy by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 78,258,757 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $9,172,709,000 after buying an additional 1,957,592 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in Duke Energy by 13.1% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,236,893 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $965,446,000 after buying an additional 954,907 shares during the period. Milford Funds Ltd. acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $97,905,000. Cohen & Steers Inc. lifted its holdings in Duke Energy by 83.3% during the 4th quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 1,711,445 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $200,598,000 after buying an additional 777,878 shares during the period. Finally, ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $86,309,000. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DUK has been the topic of several recent research reports. UBS Group cut their target price on Duke Energy from $137.00 to $135.00 in a report on Monday, May 11th. Barclays lifted their target price on Duke Energy from $127.00 to $143.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Truist Financial cut their target price on Duke Energy from $142.00 to $137.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 18th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on Duke Energy from $143.00 to $138.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Capitol Sec Mgt lowered Duke Energy from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $138.93.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

DUK stock opened at $124.91 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $126.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $124.02. Duke Energy Corporation has a 1-year low of $113.66 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 firm has a market cap of $97.38 billion, a PE ratio of 19.13 and a beta of 0.39.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 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 business had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.44 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.76 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Duke Energy

In related news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 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. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the business'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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 96,102 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,952,205.74. The trade was a 17.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

Duke Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary are highlighting Duke Energy as a defensive, low-volatility utility pick as inflation jumps and oil prices surge, which can draw investors toward stable dividend names like DUK. 3 Low-Beta Utility Stocks to Buy as Inflation Jumps to Three-Year High
• Positive Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece argues Duke Energy could keep rising, reinforcing bullish sentiment around the company’s earnings outlook, utility stability, and rate-driven growth profile. Duke Energy: Why This Utility Could Keep Rising
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy received up to $96 million in federal coal plant grants, which could help offset refurbishment costs and support grid reliability without passing as much expense to customers. How Investors Are Reacting To Duke Energy (DUK) Winning US$96 Million In Federal Coal Plant Grants
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains constructive, with Duke Energy carrying an average “Moderate Buy” recommendation. Duke Energy Corporation NYSE: DUK Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

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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