Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Stock Price Expected to Rise, BMO Capital Markets Analyst Says

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) had its target price hoisted by equities researchers at BMO Capital Markets from $130.00 to $132.00 in a report released on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has an “outperform” rating on the utilities provider’s stock. BMO Capital Markets’ target price would suggest a potential upside of 10.54% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on DUK. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Monday, December 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $138.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $126.00 to $115.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. UBS Group dropped their price target on Duke Energy from $135.00 to $126.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $132.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.06.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE DUK traded up $0.63 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $119.41. The stock had a trading volume of 254,666 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,547,483. The company has a market capitalization of $92.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.50. Duke Energy has a 12-month low of $110.51 and a 12-month high of $130.03. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $118.34 and a 200-day moving average of $121.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.63.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $8.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.51 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.98% and a net margin of 15.76%.Duke Energy’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.62 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Duke Energy will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Robert Alexander Glenn sold 8,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.80, for a total value of $1,015,160.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 11,367 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,407,234.60. This represents a 41.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.14% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duke Energy

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Dorato Capital Management purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the third quarter worth $27,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the second quarter worth $28,000. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 53.7% during the 2nd quarter. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC now owns 249 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lodestone Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Key Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy reports restoration of roughly 131,000 customers after Winter Storm Fern and highlights crews repairing equipment across the Carolinas — a sign of operational effectiveness that can reassure investors about outage management and reduce expected outage-related costs. Duke Energy restores power to 131,000 following Fern (PR Newswire)
• Positive Sentiment: Local updates indicate Duke expects service in Sumter, Lee and Clarendon counties to be restored by mid-afternoon, demonstrating clearer repair timelines that reduce uncertainty for customers and investors. Duke Energy expects Sumter, Lee, Clarendon counties’ service restored (The Item)
• Positive Sentiment: Field crews are actively battling ice and wind in mountain communities to restore power, reinforcing the firm’s ability to mobilize resources during severe weather events. Crews battle ice and wind to restore power (MSN)
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke is offering energy-use tips and awarded cold-weather grants to community organizations — positive community relations and customer-support measures that have limited direct financial impact but support goodwill. Tips and community grants (PR Newswire)
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets report a pervasive text/outage scam targeting Duke customers that impersonates scheduled outages and uses winter-storm messaging — this raises customer confusion, increased call-center load and potential incremental support costs and reputational risk. Duke Energy warns customers of text scam (MSN)
• Negative Sentiment: Despite restorations, Duke reported thousands of active outages and warned some areas can’t be repaired immediately due to conditions — continued cold/sub-freezing weather and ice threaten additional outages and could drive incremental repair and storm-response costs. Duke Energy reports over 18,000 outages (PR Newswire)

Duke Energy Company 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.