Providence First Trust Co Sells 11,905 Shares of Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Providence First Trust Co trimmed its position in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 82.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,577 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 11,905 shares during the quarter. Providence First Trust Co's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $302,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position 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 purchasing an additional 1,957,592 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 0.4% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,758,700 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $960,139,000 after acquiring an additional 31,703 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in Duke Energy by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 7,281,986 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $901,146,000 after purchasing an additional 288,499 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 5,033,225 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $622,862,000 after purchasing an additional 12,758 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 19.1% in the 3rd quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 2,613,595 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $323,432,000 after purchasing an additional 419,992 shares during the period. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Duke Energy stock opened at $125.57 on Thursday. Duke Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $111.22 and a 52 week high of $134.49. The company's 50 day moving average price is $129.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $124.24. The stock has a market cap of $97.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.23 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.06. The company 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%.Duke Energy's revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.76 earnings per share. Duke Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.550-6.80 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $136.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $143.00 to $139.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Duke Energy from $135.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $141.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Duke Energy from $138.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $140.73.

More Duke Energy News

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 news, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.86, for a total transaction of $123,001.32. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 3,896 shares in the company, valued at $498,142.56. The trade was a 19.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.67, for a total transaction of $868,156.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,007 shares in the company, valued at $2,809,633.69. This trade represents a 23.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

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.