UBS Group Cuts Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Price Target to $135.00

Key Points

• UBS Group lowered its price target on Duke Energy from $137 to $135, implying about 8.36% upside from the current share price.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly constructive overall: MarketBeat shows a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average target price of $140.20, even after some recent target adjustments by other firms.
• Duke Energy’s latest earnings were solid, with EPS of $1.93 beating estimates and revenue of $9.18 billion topping expectations; however, CEO Harry K. Sideris also sold 20,000 shares, which may weigh on investor sentiment.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) had its price target lowered by UBS Group from $137.00 to $135.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday,MarketScreener reports. UBS Group's price target would suggest a potential upside of 8.36% from the stock's current price.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Duke Energy from $142.00 to $141.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Evercore raised their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $138.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $141.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $141.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Friday, January 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $140.20.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

DUK stock traded down $0.32 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $124.58. 442,363 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,072,099. Duke Energy has a 1-year low of $111.22 and a 1-year high of $134.49. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $129.53 and a 200-day simple moving average of $124.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $97.12 billion, a PE ratio of 19.06 and a beta of 0.41.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.37, for a total transaction of $2,487,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 96,102 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,952,205.74. This trade represents a 17.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.67, for a total value of $868,156.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 22,007 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,809,633.69. This represents a 23.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 27,762 shares of company stock worth $3,478,557. Insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Duke Energy

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of DUK. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 11.6% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,754 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $728,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in shares of Duke Energy by 19.6% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 23,162 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $2,825,000 after purchasing an additional 3,797 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 1.0% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 31,238 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $3,686,000 after buying an additional 315 shares during the last quarter. AXA S.A. lifted its position in Duke Energy by 523.4% in the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 42,233 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $4,983,000 after acquiring an additional 35,458 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $954,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy said it applied for U.S. Department of Energy loans that could unlock potentially billions of dollars in customer savings while funding grid upgrades and added capacity, which may support long-term growth and regulated returns. Duke Energy applies for Department of Energy loans that represent potentially billions of dollars in customer savings
• Positive Sentiment: Evercore raised its price target on Duke Energy to $140, reinforcing a constructive view on the utility’s outlook and suggesting further upside from current levels. Evercore raises Duke Energy price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies lowered its price target to $138 from $143, but the new target still implies upside and does not materially change the broader bullish case. Jefferies lowers Duke Energy price target
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of DUK, a disclosure that can weigh on sentiment even though insider sales are not always a fundamental warning sign. SEC Form 4 filing for CEO share sale

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.

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