MUFG Securities EMEA plc Purchases 17,006 Shares of Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Key Points

• MUFG Securities EMEA plc significantly boosted its Duke Energy stake, increasing its position by 114.3% in the fourth quarter by buying 17,006 additional shares. The firm now holds 31,890 shares valued at about $3.74 million.
• Duke Energy reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $1.93 versus the $1.87 consensus and revenue of $9.18 billion versus estimates of $8.44 billion. Revenue also rose 11.3% year over year.
• The company continues to offer a sizable dividend and has a mixed analyst outlook, with a quarterly payout of $1.065 per share and a 3.6% annual yield. Analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy,” with an average target price of $139.07.

MUFG Securities EMEA plc lifted its position in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 114.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 31,890 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 17,006 shares during the quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $3,738,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Dorato Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Wiser Advisor Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the third quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 13,750.0% in the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 277 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Duke Energy Price Performance

NYSE:DUK opened at $119.82 on Tuesday. Duke Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $113.66 and a 52 week high of $134.49. The firm has a market cap of $93.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.35 and a beta of 0.39. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $127.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $124.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.66.

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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.06. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 9.73%. The business had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.44 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.76 earnings per share. Duke Energy's revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $1.065 dividend. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Duke Energy's payout ratio is 65.24%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Truist Financial reduced their price objective 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. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $141.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $138.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective 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. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $139.07.

Insider Transactions at Duke Energy

In related news, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.37, for a total value of $2,487,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.15, for a total value of $438,025.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 21,415 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. This trade represents a 14.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.12% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.

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