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Investing.com - BofA Securities maintained its Neutral rating and $128.00 price target on Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK), a $97.6 billion market cap utility currently trading near its 52-week high, following the utility’s announcement of a partial asset sale in Florida.
Duke Energy has agreed to sell a 19.7% stake in Duke Energy Florida to Brookfield for $6 billion, according to BofA Securities analyst notes. The transaction values the Florida operations at approximately 2.0 times 2024 rate base and 29 times 2024 earnings. The deal comes as Duke maintains its position as a prominent player in the Electric Utilities industry, with a stable beta of 0.34 indicating lower volatility compared to the broader market.
The utility plans to use proceeds from the sale to strengthen its balance sheet and fund increased rate base investments. Duke Energy has raised its long-term funds from operations to debt target to 15% following the announcement.
The company has also increased its capital expenditure guidance from $83 billion to $87 billion and updated its funding plan, BofA Securities noted in its analysis of the transaction.
The deal requires approvals from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, with closing expected in early 2026.
In other recent news, Duke Energy reported first-quarter earnings per share (EPS) of $1.76, exceeding both BMO Capital Markets’ and the consensus estimate of $1.62. BMO responded by raising its price target for Duke Energy to $131, while maintaining an Outperform rating. Duke Energy also increased its quarterly cash dividend to $1.065 per share, a $0.02 rise from the previous payout, payable on September 16, 2025. Additionally, Duke Energy Carolinas has filed for a 7.7% rate increase in South Carolina, aiming for an annual revenue increase of $150.5 million. If approved, the new rates would take effect on March 1, 2026. Jefferies lowered its price target for Duke Energy to $133, citing the company’s potential benefits from data center growth, supported by a 5.9 gigawatt large-load pipeline. Furthermore, Duke Energy announced the promotion of Pepper Natonski and Tom Craig to senior vice president and vice president of federal affairs, respectively. The company is optimistic about future load growth, having secured agreements with data center customers for a total capacity of 1 gigawatt.
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