Principal Financial Group Inc. Buys 35,096 Shares of Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 3.5%, buying 35,096 shares to hold 1,046,543 shares worth about $122.7 million (roughly 0.13% of the company).
• Q1 beat: Duke Energy reported $1.93 EPS (vs. $1.87 est.) and $9.18B revenue (up 11.3% YoY) and reaffirmed FY2026 EPS guidance of $6.55–$6.80.
• Analyst sentiment is mildly positive with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $140.73, while insiders have trimmed positions and institutional ownership stands at 65.31%.

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 3.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,046,543 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 35,096 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.13% of Duke Energy worth $122,665,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of DUK. Dorato Capital Management purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in Duke Energy during the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 300.0% in the 4th quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 280 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 13,750.0% during the 4th quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 277 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Duke Energy from $135.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced 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 research report on Friday, January 23rd. Capitol Sec Mgt lowered shares of Duke Energy from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Evercore reaffirmed an "in-line" rating and set a $139.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Truist Financial assumed coverage on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Monday, April 20th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $142.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $140.73.

Trending Headlines about Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and revenue growth — Duke reported $1.93 EPS and revenue of $9.18B, topping estimates and showing double‑digit revenue growth, supporting near‑term earnings credibility. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade — Mizuho raised its price target to $139 and moved to an "outperform" rating, signaling analyst confidence and adding upside narrative. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Data‑center load growth — Duke signed ~2.7 GW of new data‑center contracts (Q1), expanding load and future rate‑based investment opportunities. This is a key growth driver for utility load and capital deployment. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory approval for utility consolidation — North Carolina approval to merge two Duke utilities and expected customer savings (~$2.3B through 2040) supports operational efficiency and rate‑base scale. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Guidance reaffirmed — Management kept FY2026 EPS guidance at $6.55–$6.80 and reiterated multi‑year growth targets and ESA capacity expansion (7.6 GW), which supports longer‑term expectations. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Customer refund in Florida approved — Regulators approved a $90.5M refund to Florida customers for storm cost over‑collections; modest near‑term cash outflow but removes a regulatory overhang. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Community/PR activity — Duke donated to youth education (Historic Camp Wildwood), a modest PR positive but immaterial to fundamentals. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Political and public pushback on rate hikes — Strong public and political resistance in Florida and the Carolinas raises regulatory risk around future rate relief and recovery of investments. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Rising costs and interest headwinds — Management flagged higher costs and interest expenses that weigh on margins and cash flow, tempering some optimism from the beat. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Activist protests and reputational risk — Climate activists publicly protested and tied political figures to Duke, increasing reputational scrutiny that could amplify regulatory/policy pressure over time. Article Title

Insider Buying and Selling at Duke Energy

In other Duke Energy news, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the business'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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 3,896 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $498,142.56. The trade was a 19.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.67, for a total transaction of $868,156.00. Following the transaction, 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.12% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of DUK stock opened at $125.57 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $97.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.23 and a beta of 0.41. Duke Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $111.22 and a fifty-two week high of $134.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.66. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $129.80 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $124.24.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.44 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.73% and a net margin of 15.49%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.76 earnings per share. Duke Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.550-6.80 EPS. Analysts expect that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.7 earnings per share for the current year.

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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