Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) SVP Regis Repko Sells 962 Shares

Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) SVP Regis Repko sold 962 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.86, for a total value of $123,001.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 3,896 shares in the company, valued at $498,142.56. This trade represents a 19.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Duke Energy stock traded up $0.16 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $129.09. 1,322,978 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,335,253. Duke Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $111.22 and a 52-week high of $130.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.55. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $120.56 and its 200 day moving average is $122.01. The stock has a market cap of $100.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.51.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The utilities provider reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.01. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.66% and a net margin of 15.41%.The business had revenue of $7.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.57 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.66 EPS. Analysts predict that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $1.065 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 67.41%.

Duke Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target for DUK from $130 to $139 while maintaining an Equal Weight rating, signaling modest analyst confidence in valuation upside. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Duke highlighted Expansions in microgrid projects, home solar/battery VPP participation and $500k in environmental grants — initiatives that can support long‑term demand, grid resilience and regulatory goodwill. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Duke’s nuclear fleet set a reliability record in the Carolinas, which supports operating stability and capacity availability. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke appears on several lists highlighting dividend/utility stocks benefiting from secular demand (AI/grid upgrades); useful for investor interest but not an immediate catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Small community/charitable donations were reported (e.g., $10K to a community justice center) — positive PR but immaterial to fundamentals. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Customers in Greater Cincinnati reported unexpectedly higher bills, tied in reporting to a recent $14M billing error — this raises near‑term customer anger and political/regulatory scrutiny. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory change: Duke will replace the ‘gas cost recovery’ charge with a ‘standard service offer’ — could alter how fuel/gas costs are recovered and affect short‑term cash flow pass‑through mechanics. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory pressure rising: Indiana’s utility commission opened an inquiry into energy affordability, and local reporting anticipates a spike in disconnections after winter storms — both increase regulatory and political risk. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: an SVP sold ~962 shares (Regis T. Repko) and reports indicate multiple senior insiders reduced holdings on Feb 24 — can be perceived negatively by investors. SEC filing: SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose ~27.7% in February to ~17.17M shares (about 2.2% of float), increasing potential downward pressure and the risk of volatility around catalysts. Article Title

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duke Energy

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of DUK. Simon Quick Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 42.2% during the 2nd quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC now owns 7,444 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $878,000 after acquiring an additional 2,210 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 37.7% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 41,642 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $5,153,000 after purchasing an additional 11,409 shares during the last quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,046,000. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 11.3% during the 3rd quarter. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. now owns 274,630 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,985,000 after buying an additional 27,820 shares during the period. Finally, Alley Investment Management Company LLC lifted its stake in Duke Energy by 13.0% during the third quarter. Alley Investment Management Company LLC now owns 88,018 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $10,892,000 after buying an additional 10,108 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DUK has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $126.00 to $115.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $141.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Friday, January 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Duke Energy from $141.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley set a $139.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Mizuho set a $130.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $135.75.

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.