Graybill Wealth Management LTD. Invests $871,000 in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Graybill Wealth Management LTD. acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm acquired 7,429 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $871,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake 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 buying an additional 1,957,592 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 worth $2,266,675,000 after buying an additional 230,375 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Duke Energy by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,931,127 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,046,818,000 after acquiring an additional 58,375 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in Duke Energy by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,236,893 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $965,446,000 after acquiring an additional 954,907 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its position in Duke Energy by 0.4% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,758,700 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $960,139,000 after acquiring an additional 31,703 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of DUK stock opened at $124.91 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $126.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $124.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. The company has a market capitalization of $97.38 billion, a PE ratio of 19.13 and a beta of 0.39. Duke Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $113.66 and a 12-month high of $134.49.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.44 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 9.73%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.76 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $1.065 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.24%.

Insider Activity at Duke Energy

In other Duke Energy news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.15, for a total transaction of $438,025.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at $2,680,087.25. This trade represents a 14.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Harry K. Sideris sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 96,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,952,205.74. This trade represents a 17.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary are highlighting Duke Energy as a defensive, low-volatility utility pick as inflation jumps and oil prices surge, which can draw investors toward stable dividend names like DUK. 3 Low-Beta Utility Stocks to Buy as Inflation Jumps to Three-Year High
• Positive Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece argues Duke Energy could keep rising, reinforcing bullish sentiment around the company’s earnings outlook, utility stability, and rate-driven growth profile. Duke Energy: Why This Utility Could Keep Rising
• Positive Sentiment: Duke Energy received up to $96 million in federal coal plant grants, which could help offset refurbishment costs and support grid reliability without passing as much expense to customers. How Investors Are Reacting To Duke Energy (DUK) Winning US$96 Million In Federal Coal Plant Grants
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains constructive, with Duke Energy carrying an average “Moderate Buy” recommendation. Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on DUK. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $141.00 to $132.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $127.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $139.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $136.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Evercore raised their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $139.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.93.

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.