Analysts Set Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) Target Price at $140.50

Shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the nineteen analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, nine have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $140.25.

Several brokerages have weighed in on DUK. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on Duke Energy from $143.00 to $140.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $141.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Barclays lifted their target price on Duke Energy from $127.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Duke Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $135.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the company’s 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 sale, 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of Duke Energy 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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 3,896 shares in the company, valued at approximately $498,142.56. This trade represents a 19.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duke Energy

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 2.6% during 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 purchasing an additional 1,957,592 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 19,292,633 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,266,675,000 after purchasing an additional 230,375 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,931,127 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,046,818,000 after purchasing an additional 58,375 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position 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 valued at $965,446,000 after purchasing an additional 954,907 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,758,700 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $960,139,000 after purchasing an additional 31,703 shares during the period. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of Duke Energy stock opened at $127.84 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $129.73 and its 200-day simple moving average is $124.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $99.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.23 and a beta of 0.46. Duke Energy has a twelve month low of $111.22 and a twelve month high of $134.49.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The utilities provider reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $7.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.57 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.66% and a net margin of 15.41%.During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.66 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Duke Energy will post 6.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Duke to post growing Q1 earnings and the company has the factors that typically produce an earnings beat, supporting upside to near-term results and the stock. Duke Energy (DUK) Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Duke’s industry-record US$103 billion five-year plan—covering gas, solar, batteries, major grid upgrades and a 20-year license renewal for Robinson Nuclear—supports a long-duration growth story and higher regulated earnings over time. That capital outlook is a key bullish driver. Does Duke’s Record US$103 Billion Grid and Nuclear Buildout Reshape the Bull Case for DUK?
• Positive Sentiment: Sector thematic coverage highlights nuclear energy as an area of potential upside; Duke appears on lists of nuclear/clean-energy beneficiaries, which can attract thematic flows and multiple expansion. Nuclear Energy Stocks to Gain From Rising Clean Energy Transition
• Positive Sentiment: Community and foundation grants in Florida and North Carolina (combined ~$1.275M announced this week) reinforce Duke’s customer/stakeholder relations and regulatory goodwill, a small but positive governance/community factor. Duke Energy Foundation invests $275,000 in nonprofits supporting Floridians’ most essential needs
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector peer earnings previews (e.g., DTE) and industry cost pressures are being watched; they’re useful comparators but don’t directly change Duke’s fundamentals in the near term. DTE Energy Gears Up to Report Q1 Earnings: What’s in the Cards?
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Duke received tax breaks for its North Carolina data centers and local tax disputes (Orange County/Chapel Hill coverage) create political and regulatory risk headlines that can pressure sentiment or invite scrutiny. Duke Energy Received Tax Breaks on Its Three N.C. Data Centers Chapel Hill Apartment Giants and Duke Energy Soak Up Orange County Tax Hit

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.