BMO Capital Markets Cuts Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Price Target to $134.00

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) had its target price lowered by BMO Capital Markets from $138.00 to $134.00 in a report published on Monday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. BMO Capital Markets currently has an outperform rating on the utilities provider’s stock.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $143.00 to $138.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen raised Duke Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 28th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Monday, May 4th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Duke Energy from $135.00 to $136.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Duke Energy from $132.00 to $136.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.60.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of DUK opened at $127.96 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $99.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.38. 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 has a 1 year low of $113.89 and a 1 year high of $134.49. The company’s fifty day moving average is $125.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $125.67.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.44 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 9.73%. The business’s revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.76 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Duke Energy will post 6.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $1.085 per share. This represents a $4.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This is a positive change from Duke Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 65.24%.

Insider Activity at Duke Energy

In other Duke Energy news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.15, for a total transaction of $438,025.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. The trade was a 14.05% 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 Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.37, for a total value of $2,487,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 96,102 shares in the company, valued at $11,952,205.74. This trade represents a 17.23% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.12% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Duke Energy

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DUK. World Investment Advisors increased its stake in Duke Energy by 62.7% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 42,680 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $5,003,000 after acquiring an additional 16,450 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 22.7% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 132,530 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $15,534,000 after purchasing an additional 24,497 shares in the last quarter. Moseley Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 423.6% in the 4th quarter. Moseley Investment Management Inc. now owns 9,749 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,143,000 after purchasing an additional 7,887 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 359,829 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $42,176,000 after purchasing an additional 14,137 shares during the period. Finally, Advisors Management Group Inc. ADV increased its position in Duke Energy by 187.8% during the 4th quarter. Advisors Management Group Inc. ADV now owns 78,293 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $9,177,000 after purchasing an additional 51,088 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy reached a North Carolina rate settlement that significantly trims the proposed increase, which could improve the outlook for future revenue and reduce uncertainty for investors.
• Positive Sentiment: The company was highlighted as a trending stock, suggesting increased investor attention and trading interest around Duke Energy shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy also received coverage tied to dividend growth and data-center demand trends, reinforcing the stock’s appeal as a defensive income name with growth catalysts.
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy awarded $35,000 to West Terre Haute nonprofits, a positive community-relations item but not likely to materially affect the stock price.
• Negative Sentiment: North Carolina officials, including the attorney general, continue to push back on the rate settlement, keeping regulatory scrutiny elevated and leaving some downside risk if approvals become more difficult.
• Negative Sentiment: News that Duke Energy ended a wind lease off the North Carolina coast adds a bit of uncertainty around its clean-energy strategy, though the immediate financial impact appears limited.

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.