U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC Sells 12,153 Shares of Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Key Points

• U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors trimmed its Duke Energy stake by 59.7%, selling 12,153 shares and retaining 8,212 shares valued at about $963,000.
• Duke filed to recover more than $800 million in winter fuel and purchased‑power costs in North Carolina, prompting regulatory and political scrutiny that raises short‑term execution risk and the potential for higher customer bills.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: the consensus rating is "Hold" with a $140.20 average price target, though several firms recently raised targets (BMO, Goldman, JPMorgan) while ratings remain split between Buys and Holds.

U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 59.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 8,212 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 12,153 shares during the quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $963,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Dorato Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Wiser Advisor Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Bare Financial Services Inc grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 211.1% in the 3rd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 280 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on DUK to $139 (from $138), keeping a neutral rating — a modest analyst upgrade that provides some upward support for the share price. MarketScreener
• Positive Sentiment: Duke appears in a utilities income-roundup as a dividend-oriented pick, which can attract yield-focused investors and provide baseline demand for the shares. 247WallSt Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy is investing $600,000 in North Carolina workforce training programs (community colleges and partners) — a long-term operational positive but unlikely to move the stock near-term. Yahoo Finance
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple local grants from the Duke Energy Foundation (community nonprofits, $50K awards, food/mental-health/housing support) boost PR and community relations but have minimal direct financial impact. WBIW
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke will hold its annual shareholders meeting online May 7 — a governance item investors should note but not price-moving by itself. Yahoo Finance Meeting Notice
• Negative Sentiment: Duke filed with the North Carolina Utilities Commission to recover more than $800M in winter fuel and purchased-power costs; while recovery would preserve margins, the request has drawn regulatory and political scrutiny that increases execution risk and short-term uncertainty. Reuters
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage highlights that customers may pay more and that state leaders (including Gov. Stein) are urging action from the utilities commission — a sign of possible public/political pushback that could delay or limit recovery. MSN

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of DUK stock opened at $128.04 on Thursday. The company's 50-day moving average is $129.31 and its 200 day moving average is $124.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.55. The company has a market capitalization of $99.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.26 and a beta of 0.46. Duke Energy Corporation has a one year low of $111.22 and a one year high of $134.49.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The utilities provider reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $7.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.57 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.41% and a return on equity of 9.66%. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.66 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on DUK. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Duke Energy from $136.00 to $143.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Monday, December 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $141.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Capitol Sec Mgt downgraded shares of Duke Energy from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $138.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $140.20.

Insider Transactions at Duke Energy

In other news, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.86, for a total transaction of $123,001.32. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 3,896 shares of the company's stock, valued at $498,142.56. This trade represents a 19.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the firm'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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,809,633.69. The trade was a 23.61% decrease in their position. 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.

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