Jefferies Financial Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Stock

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) had its price objective increased by investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $125.00 to $141.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a “hold” rating on the utilities provider’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 9.95% from the stock’s current price.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $136.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “underperform” rating and issued a $130.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. UBS Group cut their price target on Duke Energy from $135.00 to $126.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on Duke Energy from $143.00 to $140.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $126.00 to $115.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $135.19.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of DUK stock opened at $128.25 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $99.73 billion, a PE ratio of 20.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.51. Duke Energy has a 12 month low of $110.51 and a 12 month high of $130.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.33. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $118.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $121.87.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. 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 firm had revenue of $7.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.57 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.66 EPS. Duke Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.550-6.800 EPS. Analysts predict that Duke Energy will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 22,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,809,633.69. This represents a 23.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Robert Alexander Glenn sold 8,200 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.80, for a total transaction of $1,015,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 11,367 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,407,234.60. This trade represents a 41.91% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duke Energy

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Pflug Koory LLC boosted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Pflug Koory LLC now owns 2,694 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $333,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. WealthShield Partners LLC boosted its position in Duke Energy by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. WealthShield Partners LLC now owns 25,453 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,003,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the period. Cypress Wealth Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Cypress Wealth Services LLC now owns 5,048 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $625,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. EWA LLC grew its stake in Duke Energy by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. EWA LLC now owns 2,203 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $273,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in Duke Energy by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter. Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,854 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $229,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Company 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.