Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Acquired by Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC

Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 86.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 148,703 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 68,977 shares during the period. Duke Energy accounts for approximately 2.5% of Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $16,021,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Reston Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the third quarter valued at about $38,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 334 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares during the period. Finally, Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Duke Energy by 82.7% during the 3rd quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 360 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on DUK shares. KeyCorp cut Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Duke Energy in a report on Thursday, September 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $138.00 price objective on the stock. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $120.00 to $126.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.23.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE DUK opened at $106.77 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $110.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $111.87. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. The stock has a market cap of $82.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.49. Duke Energy Co. has a fifty-two week low of $90.09 and a fifty-two week high of $121.25.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.62 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.73 by ($0.11). Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.31% and a return on equity of 9.34%. The business had revenue of $8.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.94 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.95 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a $1.045 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.91%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is presently 76.84%.

Duke Energy Company Profile

Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through two segments: Electric Utilities and Infrastructure (EU&I), and Gas Utilities and Infrastructure (GU&I). The EU&I segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest.