Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $134.73 Million Stock Holdings in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group trimmed its Duke Energy stake by 1.7% in the first quarter, but still held 1,028,960 shares valued at about $134.7 million.
• Duke Energy beat earnings and revenue expectations in its latest quarterly report, posting $1.93 EPS on $9.18 billion in revenue, with revenue up 11.3% year over year.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.085 per share, lifting the annualized payout to $4.34 and the dividend yield to about 3.5%; analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy on average.

Principal Financial Group Inc. decreased its position in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 1.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,028,960 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 17,583 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.13% of Duke Energy worth $134,732,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Basso Capital Management L.P. acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Dorato Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 1,111.1% in the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 218 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 68.6% during the 4th quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 231 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of DUK stock opened at $124.28 on Thursday. Duke Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $113.89 and a 12 month high of $134.49. The company has a market capitalization of $96.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.03 and a beta of 0.38. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $124.85 and a two-hundred day moving average of $125.36. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.44 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.73% and a net margin of 15.49%.Duke Energy's quarterly revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.76 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $1.085 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $4.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. This is a positive change from Duke Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 65.24%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on DUK shares. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $138.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $139.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Capitol Sec Mgt cut Duke Energy from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $135.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $143.00 to $134.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $138.33.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 transaction of $2,487,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 96,102 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,952,205.74. This trade represents a 17.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of Duke Energy 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. This trade represents a 14.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy raised its quarterly dividend to $1.085 per share from $1.06, signaling confidence in cash flow and providing a higher income yield for investors. Duke Energy announces dividend payments to shareholders
• Positive Sentiment: The company highlighted its Duke Energy Florida EnergyWise Home program, which offers up to $141 in annual bill credits with minimal effort from customers, supporting customer retention and goodwill. Sign up, sit back, save: Duke Energy Florida program offers bill credits with minimal requirements, little effort needed from customers
• Positive Sentiment: Separately, Duke Energy is being discussed favorably for its long-term pivot toward nuclear power as it exits offshore wind, a move intended to support future electricity demand from data centers and industrial customers. Should Duke Energy’s (DUK) Pivot From Offshore Wind to Nuclear Reshape Its Long‑Term Strategy?
• Neutral Sentiment: North Carolina regulators are still reviewing Duke’s proposed rate hikes, and related headlines suggest the outcome is not yet fully resolved, keeping some uncertainty around future earnings and returns. Utilities sought record rate increases this spring as Duke's request remains before NC regulators
• Negative Sentiment: Public scrutiny around Duke Energy’s rate increase plans and customer bill credits may add pressure on sentiment, as investors weigh regulatory risk and affordability concerns. Duke Energy's rate increase meets a very energized public | Opinion

About Duke Energy

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.