Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Price Target Lowered to $132.00 at Barclays

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) had its price objective cut by Barclays from $140.00 to $132.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the utilities provider’s stock. Barclays‘s price target would suggest a potential upside of 5.90% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the company. Truist Financial upped their target price on Duke Energy from $137.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Mizuho dropped their price target on Duke Energy from $139.00 to $135.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Duke Energy from $135.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Capitol Sec Mgt downgraded shares of Duke Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.50.

Duke Energy Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE:DUK opened at $124.65 on Wednesday. Duke Energy has a 52 week low of $113.89 and a 52 week high of $134.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.66. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $125.61 and its 200-day moving average is $126.32. The firm has a market cap of $97.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.38.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $7.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.66 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 9.73%. Duke Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.25 earnings per share. Duke Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.550-6.800 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Duke Energy will post 6.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.15, for a total transaction of $438,025.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,680,087.25. The trade was a 14.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.37, for a total transaction of $2,487,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 96,102 shares in the company, valued at $11,952,205.74. This represents a 17.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duke Energy

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 78,258,757 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $9,172,709,000 after acquiring an additional 1,957,592 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Duke Energy by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 19,292,633 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,266,675,000 after buying an additional 230,375 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,931,127 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,046,818,000 after purchasing an additional 58,375 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,236,893 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $965,446,000 after acquiring an additional 954,907 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 0.4% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,758,700 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $960,139,000 after purchasing an additional 31,703 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Duke Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted EPS beat expectations: Second-quarter adjusted earnings were $1.43 per share, up from $1.25 a year earlier and above the approximately $1.30 consensus. Higher electricity demand and recovery of rate-based infrastructure investments helped offset rising costs. Duke Energy’s profit beats as higher power demand offsets rising expenses
• Positive Sentiment: Demand-driven capital growth: Management highlighted data-center demand, industrial expansion and continued customer growth as drivers of Duke’s large capital-investment program. The investments could expand the utility’s regulated rate base and support long-term earnings growth of 5% to 7% through 2030. Duke Energy Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: 2026 outlook reaffirmed: Duke maintained adjusted EPS guidance of $6.55 to $6.80, in line with the $6.71 analyst consensus. Reaffirmation provides stability but does not represent an upward guidance revision.
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and cost pressures remain: Revenue rose 1.1% year over year to $7.59 billion but fell short of the $7.66 billion forecast. Higher depreciation and interest expenses, regulatory-settlement charges and affordability concerns could weigh on near-term results. Duke Energy Q2 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: Data-center negotiations carry risk: Duke faces pressure to make its commitments that data centers bear related grid costs legally binding, potentially slowing or complicating new-load agreements. Broader energy-sector weakness is also acting as a headwind.

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.