WealthPoint Financial LLC Invests $771,000 in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

WealthPoint Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 6,581 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $771,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Basso Capital Management L.P. purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Dorato Capital Management purchased a new stake in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 1,111.1% in the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 218 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 68.6% during the 4th quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 231 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

NYSE DUK opened at $123.84 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.44. Duke Energy Corporation has a 1-year low of $113.89 and a 1-year high of $134.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $96.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.97 and a beta of 0.39. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $125.59 and its 200-day simple moving average is $124.06.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted its earnings results 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 the consensus estimate 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 was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.76 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $1.065 dividend. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 65.24%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of Duke Energy 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 96,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,952,205.74. The trade was a 17.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the company’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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. This trade represents a 14.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho trimmed its price target on Duke Energy to $135 from $139, but kept an Outperform rating, still implying upside from current levels. Street Insider article
• Positive Sentiment: Investor-focused coverage highlighted Duke Energy as one of several utility stocks offering long-term passive income appeal, reinforcing the stock’s defensive, income-oriented profile. 247WallSt article
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy’s safety demonstration for Pinellas County law enforcement was a routine community/outreach event, with limited direct impact on earnings or valuation. Yahoo News article
• Neutral Sentiment: Power outages and restorations in local service areas, including reports of customers temporarily without electricity, are operational headlines that may create short-term noise but do not by themselves change the investment thesis. MSN article
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory and local-government coverage, including a commissioner being barred from a planning vote and Clearwater’s review of Duke Energy property, adds uncertainty around future utility planning and municipal relations, but the near-term stock impact is unclear. Yahoo News article
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting that Duke Energy declined more than the market in the latest session may be reinforcing bearish trading momentum in the shares. Yahoo Finance article
• Negative Sentiment: A pro-coal state regulator stepping away from Duke Energy carbon plan decisions could increase uncertainty around the company’s long-term generation strategy and regulatory process. WFAE article

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $143.00 to $138.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $142.00 to $137.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $136.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, 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. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.07.

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.