Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) Short Interest Up 27.7% in February

05 Mar 2026, 05:30 by Sarita Garza · The Markets Daily

Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK – Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 17,167,846 shares, a growth of 27.7% from the January 29th total of 13,441,610 shares. Currently, 2.2% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 5,230,056 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.3 days. Based on an average trading volume of 5,230,056 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.3 days. Currently, 2.2% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on DUK. Morgan Stanley set a $139.00 price target on Duke Energy in a report on Friday, February 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on Duke Energy from $143.00 to $140.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $125.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $136.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $137.00.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on DUK

Duke Energy Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:DUK traded up $0.47 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $131.90. The company had a trading volume of 3,701,971 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,638,402. The stock has a market capitalization of $102.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.87, a PEG ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.50. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $121.99 and its 200-day moving average price is $122.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.33. Duke Energy has a one year low of $111.22 and a one year high of $132.66.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 9th. The utilities provider reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $7.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.57 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.41% and a return on equity of 9.66%. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.66 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Duke Energy will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.065 per share. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.41%.

More Duke Energy News

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

Positive Sentiment: Duke reports materially improved reliability — company and local press say outage durations are at multi‑decade lows after grid upgrades and hardening work, which reduces storm-related costs, supports regulatory goodwill and strengthens the utility’s reliability narrative. Article Title PR Newswire
Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on DUK from $115 to $135 (maintaining an equal‑weight rating), a sign that at least one major sell‑side firm sees upside vs. prior expectations and that near‑term estimates are being revised upward. TickerReport Benzinga
Positive Sentiment: Analysts collectively rate DUK around a “Moderate Buy,” which supports demand for the stock and suggests consensus expectations remain constructive. Article Title
Positive Sentiment: Operational/technology: Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky are deploying AI to detect customer scams, which can reduce losses and regulatory complaints over time and improve customer trust. Article Title
Neutral Sentiment: Duke is conducting helicopter tree‑trimming in the Wabash Valley — a routine vegetation‑management activity that supports reliability but is operationally minor for valuation. Article Title
Neutral Sentiment: DUK has been a trending stock on Zacks and related outlets — increased attention can lift volume and volatility but doesn’t by itself change fundamentals. Zacks
Negative Sentiment: Short interest has risen sharply (reported up ~27.7%), which increases the potential for downward pressure from bearish positions and can raise volatility if shorts amplify. Article Title
Negative Sentiment: Customer complaints about unexpected or high bills (local coverage of a $450 bill for a vacant unit and broader social media responses) present PR and regulatory risks that could prompt investigations or require customer remediation. Fox59 MSN

Insider Transactions at Duke Energy

In related news, CEO Louis E. Renjel sold 6,800 shares of the firm’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 value of $868,156.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 22,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,809,633.69. This trade represents a 23.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Regis T. Repko sold 962 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.86, for a total transaction of $123,001.32. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 3,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $498,142.56. The trade was a 19.80% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Duke Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in DUK. Basso Capital Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Dorato Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in Duke Energy by 1,111.1% during the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 218 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management grew its stake in Duke Energy by 68.6% during the 4th quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 231 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Duke Energy

(Get 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.