Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to “Hold” Rating

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report published on Saturday.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on DUK. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $141.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Friday, January 30th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $136.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $135.00 to $127.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Evercore restated an “in-line” rating and set a $139.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $136.00 to $126.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $137.80.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE DUK opened at $130.03 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 stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $126.35 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $123.19. Duke Energy has a 1-year low of $111.22 and a 1-year high of $134.49. The firm has a market cap of $101.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.57 and a beta of 0.50.

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, 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 period in the previous year, the company posted $1.66 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Duke Energy will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were given a $1.065 dividend. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 67.41%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Duke Energy

In related news, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.86, for a total transaction of $123,001.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 3,896 shares in the company, valued at $498,142.56. The trade was a 19.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.67, for a total value of $868,156.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 22,007 shares in the company, valued at $2,809,633.69. This represents a 23.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Old North State Trust LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 15.0% in the 4th quarter. Old North State Trust LLC now owns 30,734 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,602,000 after purchasing an additional 4,005 shares in the last quarter. Purpose Unlimited Inc. bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $143,000. Cornerstone Planning LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,602,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its position in Duke Energy by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 233,089 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,320,000 after buying an additional 5,494 shares during the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors lifted its position in Duke Energy by 62.7% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 42,680 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $5,002,000 after buying an additional 16,450 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Duke Energy News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: South Carolina regulators approved Duke Energy’s plan to build a combined‑cycle natural gas plant in Anderson County — the company says construction could start in 2027 with service by ~2031, creating jobs and new rate‑base assets that support future earnings. Duke Energy secures approval for gas plant in South Carolina
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke is scouting multiple North Carolina sites (Davie/ Davidson/Yadkin River area) for additional natural‑gas units to meet demand — potential growth pipeline but subject to permitting, community feedback and capital allocation decisions. Davidson or Davie? Duke Energy eyes sites for twin natural gas plants
• Negative Sentiment: Rising Treasury yields could increase borrowing costs and pressure utility multiples, making Duke’s stock more volatile even as fundamentals stay steady — a macro headwind to watch for dividend investors. Duke Energy: Surging Treasury Yields Could Spark Volatility For This Utility
• Negative Sentiment: Local opposition is growing in several communities — homeowners on a lake are contesting dozens of pontoon platforms tied to Duke activity, and residents have also protested data‑center load growth at hearings — risks to permitting, timing and reputational capital. One lake and 200 pontoon platforms are pitting NC homeowners against Duke Energy Residents rail against data centers at Duke Energy hearing
• Neutral Sentiment: Questions over political influence in Florida and local advocacy could lead to regulatory scrutiny or shifting public relations needs; monitor state‑level developments that may affect approvals and rate cases. He beat an anti-utility campaign before. Is he helping Duke Energy Florida?

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.