Physicians Financial Services Inc. Acquires 5,689 Shares of Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Physicians Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 16.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 40,736 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,689 shares during the quarter. Duke Energy makes up approximately 1.5% of Physicians Financial Services Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Physicians Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $5,334,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of DUK. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 11.6% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,754 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $728,000 after buying an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Duke Energy by 19.6% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 23,162 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,825,000 after purchasing an additional 3,797 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its position in Duke Energy by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 31,238 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $3,686,000 after purchasing an additional 315 shares in the last quarter. AXA S.A. lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 523.4% in the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 42,233 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $4,983,000 after buying an additional 35,458 shares during the period. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 2nd quarter worth $954,000. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DUK has been the subject of a number of research reports. Capitol Sec Mgt lowered shares of Duke Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $135.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $139.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Evercore boosted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $140.00 in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on Duke Energy from $143.00 to $138.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.07.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.15, for a total value of $438,025.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at $2,680,087.25. This represents a 14.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 96,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,952,205.74. This represents a 17.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy is being highlighted as one of the large-cap dividend stocks that retirees are quietly buying, reinforcing its appeal as a steady income name for investors looking for yield and defensive cash flow. 3 Stocks Retirees Are Quietly Loading Up on in June
• Positive Sentiment: Another article also grouped Duke Energy with other utility stocks viewed as sources of passive income, which may support investor interest in the stock’s defensive dividend profile. 3 Utility Stocks For Years of Passive Income
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho lowered its price target on Duke Energy only modestly to $135 from $139 while keeping an outperform rating, suggesting analysts still see upside from current levels. Mizuho PT Lowered to $135 at Mizuho
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy Florida issued a customer energy-use reminder ahead of summer, which is routine utility communications and not likely to materially move the stock. Summer starts June 21: Duke Energy Florida highlights five key appliances to help customers manage energy use
• Neutral Sentiment: Several local outage reports and safety demonstrations are operational headlines that reflect day-to-day utility issues rather than a major change in Duke Energy’s earnings outlook. Duke Energy: Hundreds of customers without power in Greenville County
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage about a regulator sitting out Duke Energy carbon plan decisions and a separate story about a city examining whether to leave the utility add a bit of regulatory and political uncertainty. Pro-coal state regulator won’t participate in Duke Energy Carbon Plan decisions
• Negative Sentiment: Recent trading commentary noted that Duke Energy has been declining more than the broader market, indicating some near-term pressure on shares. Duke Energy (DUK) Declines More Than Market: Some Information for Investors

Duke Energy Stock Performance

DUK opened at $123.84 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. Duke Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $113.89 and a 12-month high of $134.49. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $125.43 and a two-hundred day moving average of $124.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $96.55 billion, a PE ratio of 18.97 and a beta of 0.39.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.44 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.76 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were given a dividend of $1.065 per share. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a 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%.

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.