Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Price Target Raised to $139.00

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) had its price objective hoisted by Mizuho from $130.00 to $139.00 in a research report released on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the utilities provider’s stock.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $141.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $143.00 to $140.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Duke Energy from $142.00 to $141.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Wall Street Zen raised Duke Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on Duke Energy from $143.00 to $139.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.67.

Duke Energy Price Performance

DUK stock opened at $124.10 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $129.72 and a 200 day moving average price of $124.21. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. The stock has a market cap of $96.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.01 and a beta of 0.41. Duke Energy has a fifty-two week low of $111.22 and a fifty-two week high of $134.49.

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

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Duke Energy

In related news, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was 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 $498,142.56. The trade was a 19.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.67, for a total value of $868,156.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,809,633.69. This represents a 23.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duke Energy

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 78,258,757 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $9,172,709,000 after acquiring an additional 1,957,592 shares during the period. Amundi raised its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 965,808 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in 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 purchasing an additional 954,907 shares during the period. Milford Funds Ltd. purchased a new stake in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $97,905,000. Finally, Cohen & Steers Inc. boosted its holdings in Duke Energy by 83.3% in the 4th quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 1,711,445 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $200,598,000 after purchasing an additional 777,878 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy reported better-than-expected quarterly results recently, with EPS topping estimates and revenue coming in above forecasts, which supports the stock’s longer-term fundamentals. Duke Energy Corporation Just Beat EPS By 13%: Here’s What Analysts Think Will Happen Next
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.065 per share, reinforcing its appeal as a defensive income stock for investors seeking stable cash returns. Duke Energy announces dividend payments to shareholders
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street coverage remains broadly constructive, with one recent analysis asking whether analysts are bullish on Duke Energy, suggesting the stock still has support from the sell side. Are Wall Street Analysts Bullish on Duke Energy Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets trimmed its price target slightly to $138 from $139, a modest change that does not materially alter the positive valuation outlook. BMO Capital adjusts price target on Duke Energy to $138 from $139
• Negative Sentiment: Political and regulatory scrutiny remains a drag, including protests linking Duke Energy to climate and governance concerns in North Carolina. Climate activists block governor’s mansion, call Stein ‘complicit’ with Duke Energy
• Negative Sentiment: News about a $90.5 million refund tied to storm-cost over-collection in Florida highlights ongoing customer and regulatory backlash that could pressure sentiment around future rate decisions. Duke Energy Florida customers to receive $90.5 million refund after storm cost over-collection

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.