Nuveen LLC Has $697.32 Million Stake in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Nuveen LLC reduced its holdings in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 2.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,949,307 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 172,584 shares during the quarter. Nuveen LLC owned approximately 0.77% of Duke Energy worth $697,318,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Xponance LLC increased its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 6.1% in the fourth quarter. Xponance LLC now owns 123,340 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $14,457,000 after buying an additional 7,144 shares in the last quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd lifted its position in Duke Energy by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd now owns 63,141 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $7,401,000 after buying an additional 548 shares in the last quarter. Keel Point LLC grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 24.5% during the 4th quarter. Keel Point LLC now owns 6,470 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $758,000 after acquiring an additional 1,275 shares during the last quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd increased its position in Duke Energy by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 187,425 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $21,968,000 after acquiring an additional 5,058 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SmartHarvest Portfolios LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $512,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Duke Energy Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:DUK opened at $124.23 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. The stock has a market cap of $96.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.02 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a 50 day moving average of $126.28 and a 200-day moving average of $124.00. Duke Energy Corporation has a one year low of $113.66 and a one 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 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 analyst estimates of $8.44 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.76 earnings per share. Duke Energy’s revenue was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on DUK shares. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $127.00 to $143.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Capitol Sec Mgt cut shares of Duke Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $136.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on Duke Energy from $142.00 to $137.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their target price on Duke Energy from $130.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.93.

Key Stories Impacting Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy joined the new Careers Electric coalition, aiming to help train 25,000 workers over the next 10 years and strengthen the utility’s labor pipeline, especially in North Carolina. That could support Duke’s ability to staff grid and infrastructure projects as demand rises. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The U.S. Department of Energy approved up to $96 million in grants to help refurbish Duke’s coal-fired plants in Kentucky and North Carolina, which may reduce capital burden and support grid reliability. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Harry Sideris said electricity demand is growing at 10 times the historical pace, reinforcing the long-term case for regulated utilities like Duke as data-center and electrification demand accelerate. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke was named a “Moderate Buy” by brokerages, which supports a constructive longer-term view but is not a fresh catalyst by itself. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor interest remains elevated, with Duke appearing frequently in stock-watch and “trending stock” coverage, suggesting the market is still reassessing the utility’s growth story. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory headlines are weighing on sentiment, including questions over Duke’s role in attracting new data centers to North Carolina and concerns that a pause in solar procurement could affect customer bills and project timing. Article Title Article Title

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Duke Energy news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. This trade 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 accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The stock was 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.12% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.