BMO Capital Markets Lowers Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Price Target to $138.00

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) had its price objective decreased by BMO Capital Markets from $139.00 to $138.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. BMO Capital Markets’ price objective would indicate a potential upside of 10.54% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on DUK. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $125.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wall Street Zen raised Duke Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 28th. Mizuho raised their target price on Duke Energy from $130.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Duke Energy from $142.00 to $141.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $141.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Friday, January 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.67.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of DUK stock traded down $0.70 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $124.84. 206,428 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,114,707. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $129.80 and its 200-day moving average is $124.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.33. Duke Energy has a 52 week low of $111.22 and a 52 week high of $134.49. The stock has a market cap of $97.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.10 and a beta of 0.41.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Duke Energy

In related news, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were 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 directly owned 3,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $498,142.56. This represents a 19.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.67, for a total value of $868,156.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 22,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,809,633.69. This trade 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 corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Duke Energy by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 78,258,757 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $9,172,709,000 after buying an additional 1,957,592 shares during the last quarter. Amundi boosted its position in Duke Energy by 56.9% during the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 2,662,460 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $312,067,000 after acquiring an additional 965,808 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 13.1% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,236,893 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $965,446,000 after acquiring an additional 954,907 shares in the last quarter. Milford Funds Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $97,905,000. Finally, Cohen & Steers Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 83.3% in the fourth quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 1,711,445 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $200,598,000 after purchasing an additional 777,878 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings and guidance: Duke beat consensus on EPS and revenue (Q1 results showed revenue growth and an EPS beat), and reaffirmed its FY2026 EPS range of $6.55–$6.80, supporting near?term upside. Duke Energy Q1 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Data?center growth: Duke announced roughly 2.7 GW of newly contracted data?center load and a surging pipeline (ESAs expanding), which increases long?term contracted demand and capital deployment opportunities. This is a key growth driver investors are rewarding. Data Center Deals
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Mizuho raised its price target to $139 and assigned an “outperform” — reinforcing buy?side conviction after the quarterly beat and growth commentary. Mizuho Price Target Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory approvals & cost?savings narrative: State regulators have approved utility consolidations and Duke highlights multibillion dollar customer savings from planned mergers, reducing regulatory friction and supporting long?term efficiency. Merger Approval
• Neutral Sentiment: Florida refund approved: Regulators approved a $90.5M refund to Duke Energy Florida customers for storm cost over?collections — a one?time cash outflow and customer goodwill item; limited earnings impact but reduces near?term cash retention. Florida Refund
• Neutral Sentiment: Customer bill impact explained: Multiple outlets note the refund will modestly lower summer bills for Florida customers; important for PR and political risk but not a material hit to consolidated earnings. Refund Explained
• Negative Sentiment: Political and public pushback on rates: Proposed rate increases are facing fierce public and political resistance (including retirement community concerns), which could complicate future regulatory filings and rate recovery. Rate?Hike Pushback
• Negative Sentiment: Activist protests and reputational risk: Climate activists publicly targeted state officials and labeled company allies “complicit,” highlighting reputational and political risk that can impact regulatory dynamics. Climate Activist Protest
• Negative Sentiment: Cost and interest?rate pressure: Coverage of the quarter noted rising costs and higher interest expense weighing on margins—factors that cap near?term upside despite the beat. Rising Costs & Interest Expense

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.