Duke Energy Corporation $DUK Shares Sold by Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lowered its position in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 79.1% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 256,742 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 970,042 shares during the quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $30,093,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. KCM Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 8.0% during the fourth quarter. KCM Investment Advisors LLC now owns 9,872 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,157,000 after purchasing an additional 731 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Destination Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Destination Wealth Management now owns 4,444 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $521,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Eventide Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 7.9% during the fourth quarter. Eventide Asset Management LLC now owns 46,832 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $5,511,000 after purchasing an additional 3,419 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 4.6% during the fourth quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 216,439 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $25,369,000 after purchasing an additional 9,548 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE DUK opened at $125.22 on Tuesday. 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 fifty day moving average price of $126.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $124.04. Duke Energy Corporation has a 1-year low of $113.66 and a 1-year high of $134.49. The company has a market cap of $97.62 billion, a PE ratio of 19.18 and a beta of 0.39.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.06. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.73% and a net margin of 15.49%.The company had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.44 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.76 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $1.065 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is presently 65.24%.

Duke Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lower interest rates could be a tailwind for Duke Energy because they may reduce refinancing costs and make the utility’s dividend yield more attractive to income-focused investors. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlighted Duke Energy as a reliable “safe haven” dividend stock, noting 100 consecutive years of quarterly payouts and reinforcing the company’s appeal as a defensive utility holding. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Ohio Supreme Court news that Duke Energy can charge customers to close retired propane caverns supports recovery of utility costs and may ease regulatory pressure on earnings. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy Foundation announced $830,000 in America250 grants, completing more than $1 million in civic and history-related funding across its service territory. The initiative is positive for community relations but unlikely to move the stock materially. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several operational items, including nuclear siren testing and storm-related outage coverage, reflect routine utility activity and severe weather response rather than a clear fundamental change. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage about Duke seeking higher rates alongside gas-plant plans colliding with clean-energy goals could signal continued regulatory friction and uncertainty around future capital spending and approvals. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A report on Duke Energy resource planning proceedings noted a pro-coal commissioner’s absence, underscoring ongoing debate around the company’s generation mix and long-term energy strategy. Article Title

Insider Activity at Duke Energy

In other Duke Energy news, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 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 document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.15, for a total value of $438,025.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at $2,680,087.25. The trade was a 14.05% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on DUK. Mizuho lifted 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. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $138.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $139.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Duke Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.93.

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.