Harmony Asset Management LLC Has $403,000 Position in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Harmony Asset Management LLC cut its holdings in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 74.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,081 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 8,822 shares during the period. Harmony Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $403,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in DUK. Vanguard Group Inc. increased 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 worth $9,172,709,000 after buying an additional 1,957,592 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 56.9% during the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 2,662,460 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $312,067,000 after buying an additional 965,808 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,236,893 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $965,446,000 after acquiring an additional 954,907 shares during the period. Milford Funds Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth $97,905,000. Finally, Cohen & Steers Inc. increased its position in Duke Energy by 83.3% during the fourth quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 1,711,445 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $200,598,000 after acquiring an additional 777,878 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Duke Energy news, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 96,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,952,205.74. The trade was a 17.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.15, for a total value of $438,025.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 21,415 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. The trade was a 14.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Duke Energy Stock Down 1.7%

DUK opened at $124.28 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $96.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.03 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $124.85 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $125.36. Duke Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $113.89 and a fifty-two week high of $134.49.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.06. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 9.73%. The company had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.44 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.76 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.085 per share. This is a positive change from Duke Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 65.24%.

More Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy raised its quarterly dividend to $1.085 per share from $1.06, signaling confidence in cash flow and providing a higher income yield for investors. Duke Energy announces dividend payments to shareholders
• Positive Sentiment: The company highlighted its Duke Energy Florida EnergyWise Home program, which offers up to $141 in annual bill credits with minimal effort from customers, supporting customer retention and goodwill. Sign up, sit back, save: Duke Energy Florida program offers bill credits with minimal requirements, little effort needed from customers
• Positive Sentiment: Separately, Duke Energy is being discussed favorably for its long-term pivot toward nuclear power as it exits offshore wind, a move intended to support future electricity demand from data centers and industrial customers. Should Duke Energy’s (DUK) Pivot From Offshore Wind to Nuclear Reshape Its Long?Term Strategy?
• Neutral Sentiment: North Carolina regulators are still reviewing Duke’s proposed rate hikes, and related headlines suggest the outcome is not yet fully resolved, keeping some uncertainty around future earnings and returns. Utilities sought record rate increases this spring as Duke’s request remains before NC regulators
• Negative Sentiment: Public scrutiny around Duke Energy’s rate increase plans and customer bill credits may add pressure on sentiment, as investors weigh regulatory risk and affordability concerns. Duke Energy’s rate increase meets a very energized public | Opinion

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DUK has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Evercore boosted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $140.00 in a report on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Monday, May 4th. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $137.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Duke Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.33.

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.