Duke Energy Corporation $DUK Shares Sold by Orleans Capital Management Corp LA

Orleans Capital Management Corp LA lessened its position in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 29.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 17,244 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 7,160 shares during the quarter. Duke Energy comprises approximately 1.4% of Orleans Capital Management Corp LA’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest position. Orleans Capital Management Corp LA’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $2,134,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 27.8% during the 3rd quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 764 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $95,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the period. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 206,891 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $25,603,000 after purchasing an additional 13,882 shares during the last quarter. LOM Asset Management Ltd raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. LOM Asset Management Ltd now owns 13,406 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,659,000 after buying an additional 169 shares during the period. Perennial Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Duke Energy by 4.1% in the third quarter. Perennial Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,223 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $275,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smith Moore & CO. lifted its position in Duke Energy by 1.0% in the third quarter. Smith Moore & CO. now owns 17,874 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,212,000 after buying an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Duke Energy stock opened at $132.53 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $122.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $122.38. The stock has a market cap of $103.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.50. Duke Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $111.22 and a 12-month high of $132.65.

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

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $1.065 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 67.41%.

Key Headlines Impacting Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Brookfield completed a minority investment in Duke Energy Florida (9.2%), signaling outside capital for Florida infrastructure growth and a potential de‑risking/partnering path for regional expansion. Brookfield Stake Reshapes Duke Energy Florida Growth And Investor Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy Florida reported its lowest average outage times in over 20 years — an operational win that supports reliability narratives and lowers regulatory/PR risk. Duke Energy Florida achieves lowest average outage times in more than 20 years
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary on sector rotation spots Duke among blue‑chip defensive names that could attract flows as investors rotate out of expensive tech; Duke’s dividend history and “all of the above” generation mix are cited as catalysts. 3 Blue-Chip Stocks Built for a Rotating Market
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst upgrades / favorable coverage have pushed DUK toward a 52‑week high earlier this week, supporting momentum and investor sentiment around near‑term upside. Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Hits New 52-Week High After Analyst Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke published guidance and customer‑facing information explaining higher winter bills and outlining payment/assistance options — important for customer relations and potential regulatory scrutiny but not an immediate earnings surprise. Understanding higher energy bills this winter – and how Duke Energy can help
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro pieces highlighting falling interest rates as a potential tailwind for rate‑sensitive utilities could support multiple expansion for Duke if the rate outlook continues to shift. Interest Rates Are Heading Down — These 3 Stocks Win Big When They Do
• Negative Sentiment: Evercore ISI issued a downgrade/negative note on Duke (coverage reported), which can cap near‑term upside and adds analyst skepticism despite other favorable coverage; that pressure likely explains some intraday volatility. Evercore ISI Group downgrades Duke Energy (DUK)

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on DUK shares. Mizuho set a $130.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Duke Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $141.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Scotiabank boosted their target price on Duke Energy from $137.00 to $146.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on Duke Energy from $135.00 to $126.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $136.87.

Insider Activity

In other Duke Energy news, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the 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 transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 3,896 shares in the company, valued at $498,142.56. This represents a 19.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.67, for a total transaction of $868,156.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,809,633.69. The trade was a 23.61% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.