Harry Sideris Sells 20,000 Shares of Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Stock

Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) CEO Harry Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.37, for a total transaction of $2,487,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 96,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,952,205.74. This represents a 17.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

NYSE:DUK opened at $125.11 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $97.53 billion, a PE ratio of 19.16 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $129.42 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $124.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.66. Duke Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $111.22 and a fifty-two week high of $134.49.

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

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $1.065 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.24%.

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 support grid upgrades, added capacity, and potentially billions of dollars in customer savings. That could help fund long-term growth and improve the investment case. 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, signaling continued analyst confidence in the utility’s earnings and valuation outlook. Evercore raises Duke Energy price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage around maintenance work and volunteer/community activity is largely non-financial and unlikely to materially affect the stock. Duke Energy volunteers help Terre Haute Humane Society
• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies lowered its price target, but the new target still implies upside, so the downgrade appears modest rather than a major bearish shift. Jefferies lowers Duke Energy price target
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares in a disclosed transaction. While insider sales are not always a bearish fundamental signal, they can create near-term investor caution. SEC Form 4 filing for CEO share sale
• Negative Sentiment: Another disclosed sale by CEO Louis E. Renjel also adds to insider-selling headlines, which may weigh on sentiment even though the company’s core business remains stable. SEC Form 4 filing for CEO share sale

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on DUK. Truist Financial started coverage on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Monday, April 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $142.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Monday, May 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Duke Energy from $141.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $141.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Friday, January 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $140.20.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duke Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DUK. Basso Capital Management L.P. acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Dorato Capital Management purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Duke Energy by 1,111.1% during the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 218 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management boosted its holdings in Duke Energy by 68.6% during the 4th quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 231 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

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.