Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Lowers Stock Position in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. lessened its position in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 4.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 444,601 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 22,482 shares during the quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc.’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $54,228,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of DUK. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Wayfinding Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Mattson Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 360.0% during the 1st quarter. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 253 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

DUK opened at $123.26 on Wednesday. Duke Energy Corporation has a twelve month low of $105.20 and a twelve month high of $127.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $95.85 billion, a PE ratio of 20.04, a PEG ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $120.11 and its 200 day moving average price is $118.50.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.29 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $7.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.07 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.85% and a net margin of 15.51%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.18 earnings per share. Duke Energy has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.170-6.420 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.065 per share. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.5%. This is an increase from Duke Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.05. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.27%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on DUK shares. Scotiabank boosted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $120.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 6th. Raymond James Financial began coverage on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Friday, June 13th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $130.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $127.00 price objective (up from $124.00) on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $132.00 target price on Duke Energy in a report on Tuesday, July 1st. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $130.07.

Insider Buying and Selling at Duke Energy

In related news, SVP Bonnie B. Titone sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.38, for a total value of $248,760.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 19,608 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,438,843.04. This represents a 9.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Thomas Preston Jr. Gillespie sold 6,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.26, for a total transaction of $832,542.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 46,422 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,768,397.72. The trade was a 12.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Duke Energy

Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through two segments: Electric Utilities and Infrastructure (EU&I), and Gas Utilities and Infrastructure (GU&I). The EU&I segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest.