Aberdeen Group plc Lowers Stock Holdings in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Posted by Defense World Staff on Feb 16th, 2026

Aberdeen Group plc lowered its stake in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK – Free Report) by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 394,280 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 20,271 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc owned 0.05% of Duke Energy worth $48,418,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Simon Quick Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Duke Energy by 42.2% in the 2nd quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC now owns 7,444 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $878,000 after purchasing an additional 2,210 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in Duke Energy by 37.7% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 41,642 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $5,153,000 after purchasing an additional 11,409 shares during the last quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,046,000. Alley Investment Management Company LLC raised its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 13.0% in the third quarter. Alley Investment Management Company LLC now owns 88,018 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $10,892,000 after buying an additional 10,108 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. lifted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 11.3% during the third 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. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Duke Energy Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of DUK opened at $128.14 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $99.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.28, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.51. Duke Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $110.51 and a 52 week high of $130.03. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $118.67 and its 200-day moving average price is $121.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The utilities provider reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $7.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.57 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.66% and a net margin of 15.41%.During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.66 earnings per share. Duke Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.550-6.800 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $1.065 per share. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.41%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Scotiabank raised their target price on Duke Energy from $137.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. UBS Group cut their price objective on Duke Energy from $135.00 to $126.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on Duke Energy from $143.00 to $140.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underperform” rating and issued a $130.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $134.19.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on DUK

Duke Energy News Summary

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

Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs raised its price target to $142 and maintained a Buy rating — adds analyst support and upside to the stock. Goldman Sachs adjusts price target on Duke Energy
Positive Sentiment: Duke reported solid results (beat expectations) and set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $6.55–$6.80, supporting earnings-driven upside and dividend coverage. Duke Energy Beats Expectations, Continues To Be A Buy
Positive Sentiment: Federal judge dismissed a small town’s climate-change suit against Duke, removing a source of legal and regulatory uncertainty. Judge quashes small town’s climate change suit against Duke Energy
Positive Sentiment: Data-center demand remains strong — Duke’s pipeline hit ~4.5 GW, providing a durable load-growth avenue that supports long-term regulated earnings. Duke Energy’s data center pipeline hits 4.5 gigawatts
Neutral Sentiment: Duke is deploying AI to detect scams targeting customers — lowers fraud risk and potential losses, but is primarily operational/PR. Duke Energy leverages AI to protect customers and combat scams
Neutral Sentiment: Company announced customer-support resources after a Florida cold snap — helps mitigate customer backlash from higher winter bills but highlights bill volatility. Duke Energy is here to help Florida customers after cold snap
Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of Duke earning nearly $5B in 2025 while still requesting rate increases — positive for future revenue if approved, but keeps regulatory and PR scrutiny front-and-center. Duke Energy earned nearly $5B in 2025. It is still requesting a rate hike
Neutral Sentiment: Local complaints about “radical” tree trimming and streetlight issues are generating local headlines — reputational noise with limited immediate financial impact. Answer Man: ‘Radical tree trimming’ by Duke Energy contractors
Negative Sentiment: CEO Louis Renjel sold 6,800 shares (about $868k) and reduced his holdings ~23.6% — insider selling can weigh on sentiment, though not uncommon after compensation events. SEC Form 4 – Louis E. Renjel
Negative Sentiment: St. Petersburg is taking steps to consider switching to a city-run utility — a municipal departure could be a long-term demand and political risk if it gains traction elsewhere. St. Petersburg takes steps to consider dropping Duke Energy

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of Duke Energy 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. The trade was a 23.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Robert Alexander Glenn sold 8,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.80, for a total value of $1,015,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 11,367 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,407,234.60. The trade was a 41.91% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Duke Energy

(Free Report)

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.