<div id="readability-page-1">U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 161.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 20,365 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 12,573 shares during the quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $2,520,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.<ul><li>3 Utilities Plays You Can Lean on During Volatility</li></ul>Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Activest Wealth Management raised its stake in Duke Energy by 98.1% in the first quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 212 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 53.7% during the 2nd quarter. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC now owns 249 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Saudi Central Bank bought a new position in Duke Energy during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $37,000. 65.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. <h2>Insider Activity</h2>In other news, EVP Robert Alexander Glenn sold 8,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.80, for a total value of $1,015,160.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 11,367 shares in the company, valued at $1,407,234.60. This represents a 41.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities &amp; Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. <h2>Analyst Ratings Changes</h2><ul><li>The Utilities Stock at the Center of AI and Rising Electric Bills</li></ul>A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on DUK shares. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on Duke Energy in a research note on Monday, October 6th. They set an &#34;outperform&#34; rating and a $143.00 price target for the company. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $132.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an &#34;outperform&#34; rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. BTIG Research raised Duke Energy to a &#34;strong-buy&#34; rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. cut their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $136.00 to $126.00 and set a &#34;neutral&#34; rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, UBS Group cut their target price on Duke Energy from $135.00 to $126.00 and set a &#34;neutral&#34; rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy has an average rating of &#34;Moderate Buy&#34; and an average price target of $136.50.Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on DUK<h2>Duke Energy Price Performance</h2><ul><li>Want Steady Income? 3 Top Dividend Stocks for July 2025</li></ul>NYSE DUK opened at $115.57 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $89.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.17, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $122.49 and its 200 day moving average price is $121.23. Duke Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $105.20 and a 1 year high of $130.03. Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.75 by $0.06. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.76% and a return on equity of 9.98%. The company had revenue of $8.54 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.51 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.62 EPS. Duke Energy's quarterly revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year. <h2>Duke Energy Dividend Announcement</h2>The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th were paid a dividend of $1.065 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.98%. <h2>Key Duke Energy News</h2>Here are the key news stories impacting Duke Energy this week:<ul> <li>Positive Sentiment: South Carolina regulators approved a Duke Energy Progress rate increase that will take effect in 2026, supporting near‑term revenue and allowed returns. South Carolina regulators approve Duke Energy Progress rate hike hitting bills in 2026</li> <li>Positive Sentiment: An analyst price target was raised to $146, indicating some broker optimism about upside. Duke Energy NYSE: DUK Price Target Raised to $146.00</li> <li>Positive Sentiment: Management is pursuing cost savings (combining Carolina operations to target ~$1B in savings) and investing in outage‑response technology—measures that support margins and operational resilience. Customers urge Duke Energy to delay rate hikes as it combines Carolina businesses to save $1 billion</li> <li>Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage consensus is around a &#34;Moderate Buy&#34; and industry pieces compare DUK vs. EXC for clean‑energy/upside potential—useful context for income‑focused investors but not an immediate catalyst. Duke Energy Corporation NYSE: DUK Given Average Recommendation of &#34;Moderate Buy&#34; by Brokerages</li> <li>Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and features (behind‑the‑scenes videos, distribution control center stories) highlight operational improvements and tech adoption—positive PR but limited immediate market impact. Behind The Scenes At Duke Energy</li> <li>Negative Sentiment: Two arrests in an ongoing fraud case allege schemes that defrauded Duke Energy of significant sums; the prosecutions raise reputational and potential recovery/cost questions. 2nd arrest made in ongoing Duke Energy fraud case, authorities say</li> <li>Negative Sentiment: Local reporting shows customers being hit by unexpected deposit fees added to electric bills and mounting pushback against steep rate increases amid reports of high company profits—this can fuel regulatory/political pressure and customer complaints. Duke Energy customers shocked by unexpected deposit fees added to electric bills</li> <li>Negative Sentiment: Coverage alleges Duke failed a state grid‑reliability test and then sought an easier standard—raises regulatory scrutiny and could pressure future approvals or require additional investment. Duke Energy failed state test for power grid reliability, then asked for an easier test</li> </ul><h2>Duke Energy Profile</h2> (Free Report)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.<h2>Further Reading</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Duke Energy</li><li>End of America update</li><li>They Laughed at $30. They Won’t Laugh at $70.</li><li>I Shouldn't Be Sending You This</li><li>How Long Will $1M Last in Retirement?</li><li>Bitcoin is down but your income is about to explode</li></ul><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5ZU0UmU3ltYm9sPURVSw?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="650" height="350" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5ZU0UmU3ltYm9sPURVSw"/>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.<h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Duke Energy Right Now?</h2>Before you consider Duke Energy, you'll want to hear this.MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Duke Energy wasn't on the list.While Duke Energy currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.View The Five Stocks Here </div>

U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Duke Energy Corporation by 161.4% in Q3, acquiring 12,573 shares, now holding 20,365 shares valued at $2.52 million. Duke Energy's stock has received mixed analyst ratings, with a moderate buy consensus and an average price target of $136.50. The company reported Q3 earnings of $1.81 per share, surpassing estimates, with revenue up 4.8% year-over-year.

U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC Acquires 12,573 Shares of Duke Energy Corporation $DUK