Dougherty & Associates LLC Acquires New Holdings in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Dougherty & Associates LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 18,685 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,190,000. Duke Energy accounts for about 2.0% of Dougherty & Associates LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. EWA LLC raised its position in Duke Energy by 3.9% in the third quarter. EWA LLC now owns 2,203 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $273,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the period. Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in Duke Energy by 4.6% in the third quarter. Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,854 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $229,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the period. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC raised its position in Duke Energy by 4.1% in the third quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 2,113 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $261,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the period. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID raised its position in Duke Energy by 35.0% in the fourth quarter. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID now owns 324 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the period. Finally, MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Duke Energy by 1.1% in the third quarter. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. now owns 7,858 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $972,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on DUK. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $143.00 to $140.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Truist Financial began coverage on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Monday, April 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $142.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $142.00 to $141.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $137.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $138.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $140.00.

Duke Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy held a groundbreaking ceremony for its Cayuga Energy Complex, signaling continued investment in its generation and infrastructure buildout, which can support future regulated-rate growth. Duke Energy holds a groundbreaking ceremony for their Cayuga Energy Complex
• Positive Sentiment: The company reported that no toxic algae was found at the Lake Norman site after an earlier state finding, which may reduce environmental and reputational concerns. Duke Energy: No toxic algae found at Lake Norman site where state said it was
• Neutral Sentiment: DUK remains a heavily watched stock, with investor attention likely reflecting interest in its defensive utility profile and upcoming rate/regulatory developments. Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Duke Energy’s North Carolina rate-increase hearing was postponed could delay a key catalyst for earnings and cash-flow improvement, but the impact is still uncertain. Duke Energy rate-increase hearing postponed over missed scheduling deadline
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s claims that a merger will save customers $2.3 billion and news about combining its two North Carolina utilities may help long-term efficiency, but investors are likely waiting to see regulatory details. Duke Energy claims merger to save customers $2.3 billion, double initial estimate
• Negative Sentiment: Questions around North Carolina policy and legal issues tied to Duke Energy’s solar plans could add uncertainty to future capital spending and regulatory approval. Shunning the sunshine? NC order for Duke Energy to hit brakes on solar raises policy, legal questions

Insider Transactions at Duke Energy

In related news, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 96,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,952,205.74. This trade represents a 17.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.86, for a total transaction of $123,001.32. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 3,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $498,142.56. The trade was a 19.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 24,462 shares of company stock valued at $3,048,426 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE DUK opened at $120.98 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $128.90 and a 200-day moving average price of $124.03. 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 stock has a market cap of $94.31 billion, a PE ratio of 18.53 and a beta of 0.41. Duke Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $113.39 and a 1 year 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, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.06. The firm 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 company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.76 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $1.065 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 65.24%.

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.