Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Upgraded at Truist Financial

Truist Financial upgraded shares of Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) to a strong-buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms have also commented on DUK. Mizuho set a $130.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $125.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $138.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $136.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Capitol Sec Mgt lowered shares of Duke Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $140.50.

Duke Energy Price Performance

NYSE DUK opened at $125.23 on Monday. Duke Energy has a 12-month low of $111.22 and a 12-month high of $134.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $97.44 billion, a PE ratio of 19.82 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $129.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $124.19.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The utilities provider reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.01. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.41% and a return on equity of 9.66%. The company had revenue of $7.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.57 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.66 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Duke Energy will post 6.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.67, for a total transaction of $868,156.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 22,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,809,633.69. The trade was a 23.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 3,896 shares in the company, valued at $498,142.56. This trade represents a 19.80% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Duke Energy

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Basso Capital Management L.P. bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Dorato Capital Management bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Duke Energy by 1,111.1% in the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 218 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management increased its holdings in Duke Energy by 68.6% in the 4th quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 231 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

More Duke Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Truist upgraded DUK to “strong-buy,” which can support near‑term buying interest from income/value investors. Truist upgrades Duke Energy to strong-buy (via Zacks)
• Positive Sentiment: Broker consensus remains constructive: reports show an average broker rating of “Moderate Buy” and a Wells Fargo analyst projecting upside, which underpins medium‑term analyst support. Duke Energy Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages Duke Energy Stock Price Expected to Rise, Wells Fargo Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Duke Energy Foundation awarded $275,000 in America250 grants for South Carolina green‑space projects. Good PR/ESG signal but immaterial to financials. Duke Energy Foundation announces America250 grants (PR Newswire)
• Neutral Sentiment: Company publicity about lineworkers advancing to an international rodeo highlights operational competence and reliability messaging; unlikely to move the stock materially. Powering Reliability: Duke Energy lineworkers sharpen skills (PR Newswire)
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target slightly to $141 and kept an “equal weight” rating — a modest negative that could cap upside until clearer catalysts emerge. Morgan Stanley adjusts price target on Duke Energy to $141 (MarketScreener)
• Negative Sentiment: Market coverage noting DUK’s intraday/overnight decline (larger than the broad market) may prompt short‑term selling or reduced momentum among momentum traders. Duke Energy sees a more significant dip than broader market (Yahoo Finance)

About Duke Energy

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.