Banque Cantonale Vaudoise Boosts Stock Holdings in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise increased its position in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 12.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 37,013 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,115 shares during the period. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $4,580,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vestcor Inc boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 8.8% during the third quarter. Vestcor Inc now owns 145,188 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $17,967,000 after buying an additional 11,693 shares during the last quarter. Fieldview Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $219,000. Aull & Monroe Investment Management Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Aull & Monroe Investment Management Corp now owns 39,089 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $4,837,000 after acquiring an additional 319 shares during the last quarter. Inceptionr LLC grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 74.3% in the third quarter. Inceptionr LLC now owns 11,201 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,386,000 after acquiring an additional 4,773 shares during the period. Finally, Private Advisor Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 1.6% in the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 78,073 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $9,662,000 after acquiring an additional 1,204 shares during the period. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Duke Energy Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of DUK stock opened at $130.98 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. Duke Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $111.22 and a 12 month high of $132.65. The stock has a market cap of $101.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.72, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $122.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $122.41.

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

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 67.41%.

Insider Activity

In other 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 transaction of $868,156.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,809,633.69. The trade was a 23.61% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the senior vice president directly owned 3,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $498,142.56. This represents a 19.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

DUK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $139.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $137.00 to $146.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. UBS Group increased their price target on Duke Energy from $136.00 to $140.00 in a report on Monday. Mizuho set a $130.00 price objective on Duke Energy in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Evercore reiterated an “in-line” rating and set a $139.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $137.80.

More Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on DUK to $140 from $136, signaling analyst optimism and implying upside vs. the current price — a directional positive for investor sentiment and a potential support for the stock. UBS Adjusts Duke Energy Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Analyses noting sector rotation into value/defensive names highlight Duke as a beneficiary: stable utility cash flows, a ~3% yield and exposure to regulated/resilient businesses help attract flows as investors rotate out of mega-cap tech. 3 Blue-Chip Stocks Built for a Rotating Market
• Positive Sentiment: Other recent analyst target upgrades (coverage noted on Yahoo/MarketScreener) indicate upward revisions to expectations following February results — supports the constructive analyst tone. Price Target Raised
• Neutral Sentiment: A research collaboration involves Duke University (Pratt School of Engineering) and a mobile games developer on aging/cognitive health — this is academic research tied to Duke University, not Duke Energy, and is unlikely to move DUK stock. Avia and University Engineering Program Collaborate
• Negative Sentiment: Duke announced an intended private offering of $1.0B of convertible senior notes due 2029 (with an upsize option), which markets view as dilutive/credit-sensitive — the news directly pressured the stock as investors weigh dilution risk, interest/capital structure effects and why the new funding is needed. Convertible Notes Offering
• Negative Sentiment: Local reporting says Duke is recommitting to fossil fuels in NC, projecting higher carbon emissions — a potential negative for ESG-focused investors and a source of regulatory/PR risk that can pressure valuation multiples for utilities. Falling NC carbon emissions will rise again
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage highlighting rising Duke Energy customer bills increases political and regulatory scrutiny and could lead to rate pressure or reputational headwinds, even as higher prices can temporarily boost revenue — investors watch both the revenue and regulatory downside. Duke Energy bills keep rising

Duke Energy 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.