Sargent Investment Group LLC Increases Position in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Sargent Investment Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 17.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 33,679 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,029 shares during the quarter. Sargent Investment Group LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $3,948,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 78,258,757 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $9,172,709,000 after acquiring an additional 1,957,592 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 13.1% during the 4th 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 last quarter. Milford Funds Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth $97,905,000. Cohen & Steers Inc. grew its stake in Duke Energy by 83.3% during the 4th quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 1,711,445 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $200,598,000 after buying an additional 777,878 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $86,309,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary are highlighting Duke Energy as a defensive, low-volatility utility pick as inflation jumps and oil prices surge, which can draw investors toward stable dividend names like DUK. 3 Low-Beta Utility Stocks to Buy as Inflation Jumps to Three-Year High
• Positive Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece argues Duke Energy could keep rising, reinforcing bullish sentiment around the company’s earnings outlook, utility stability, and rate-driven growth profile. Duke Energy: Why This Utility Could Keep Rising
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy received up to $96 million in federal coal plant grants, which could help offset refurbishment costs and support grid reliability without passing as much expense to customers. How Investors Are Reacting To Duke Energy (DUK) Winning US$96 Million In Federal Coal Plant Grants
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains constructive, with Duke Energy carrying an average “Moderate Buy” recommendation. Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Duke Energy Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:DUK opened at $124.91 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. Duke Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $113.66 and a 52-week high of $134.49. The stock has a market cap of $97.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.13 and a beta of 0.39. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $126.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $124.02.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.44 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.76 EPS. Duke Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DUK has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group decreased their price target on Duke Energy from $137.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Monday, May 11th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $139.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $127.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $143.00 to $138.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.93.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Duke Energy news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. This trade represents a 14.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 96,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,952,205.74. The trade was a 17.23% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.12% 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.