HighTower Advisors LLC Buys 4,523 Shares of Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 785,632 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,523 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $92,084,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dorato Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the third quarter valued at $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 300.0% during the fourth quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 280 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 13,750.0% during the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 277 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares during the period. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:DUK opened at $124.59 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $97.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.08 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. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $128.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $124.02.

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, topping the consensus estimate 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 return on equity of 9.73% and a net margin of 15.49%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.76 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Shareholders 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 yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is currently 65.24%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $136.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Wall Street Zen raised Duke Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Monday, May 4th. Truist Financial cut their price target on Duke Energy from $142.00 to $137.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Finally, Evercore lifted their price target on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $140.00 in a report on Monday, May 11th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $139.67.

Key Stories Impacting Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy said its latest earnings call showed progress on a massive growth plan, reinforcing the company’s long-term investment and earnings outlook. Duke Energy EPS Jumps as Massive Growth Plan Advances
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy Indiana began construction on an expansion of the Cayuga power plant, a sign of ongoing infrastructure investment that could support future capacity and regulated returns. Duke Energy Indiana begins construction on expanding Cayuga power plant
• Positive Sentiment: The Duke Energy Foundation announced more than $250,000 in grants to support veterans’ career pathways across six states, reinforcing its community-investment profile. Duke Energy Foundation Invests Over $250,000 to Support Veterans’ Career Pathways Across 6 States
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy also launched home-assessment efforts aimed at helping customers lower energy bills and improve efficiency, which is supportive of customer relations but unlikely to move the stock on its own. Duke Energy offers home assessments to keep energy bills low, efficient
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s foundation also awarded $50,000 to Florida veteran organizations, a positive public-relations move but not a material earnings driver. Duke Energy Foundation awards 50,000 to organizations honoring and supporting Florida veterans
• Negative Sentiment: A reported power outage in Clayton tied to underground line issues may remind investors of operational and reliability risks, though it appears to be an isolated incident. Thousands lose power in Clayton after issue with underground lines, Duke Energy says

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Duke Energy news, 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 transaction of $2,487,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 96,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,952,205.74. The trade was a 17.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the business’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 directly owned 21,415 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,680,087.25. This represents a 14.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 24,462 shares of company stock valued at $3,048,426. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Duke Energy 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.