Strategic Blueprint LLC Trims Stock Position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Strategic Blueprint LLC lessened its stake in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 6.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 20,108 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 1,308 shares during the quarter. Strategic Blueprint LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $2,318,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 69.6% in the second quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 290 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. Sachetta LLC raised its stake in Duke Energy by 41.9% during the second quarter. Sachetta LLC now owns 325 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Cedar Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 101.2% during the 1st quarter. Cedar Wealth Management LLC now owns 336 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 169 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Louis E. Renjel sold 540 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.64, for a total transaction of $61,365.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 19,884 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,259,617.76. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of DUK opened at $114.41 on Wednesday. Duke Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $86.61 and a 12-month high of $121.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $88.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.07, a P/E/G ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 0.46. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $115.74 and its 200-day moving average is $107.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.53.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.16. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.71% and a net margin of 14.29%. The business had revenue of $7.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.91 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.65%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 15th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 76.98%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on DUK shares. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Duke Energy from $108.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $102.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $110.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. KeyCorp downgraded Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on Duke Energy from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $121.85.

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.