Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Stock Position Trimmed by Focus Financial Network Inc.

Focus Financial Network Inc. decreased its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,147 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 156 shares during the period. Focus Financial Network Inc.’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $1,401,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its stake in Duke Energy by 69.6% during the 2nd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 290 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the second quarter worth about $30,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Cedar Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Duke Energy by 101.2% during the 1st quarter. Cedar Wealth Management LLC now owns 336 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 169 shares during the period. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the first quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Price Performance

DUK opened at $112.67 on Friday. Duke Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $86.61 and a 12-month high of $121.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $87.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.75, a PEG ratio of 3.11 and a beta of 0.46. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $115.84 and a 200-day moving average of $108.14.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $7.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.84 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.71% and a net margin of 14.29%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.91 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.71%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 15th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 76.98%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

DUK has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. 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. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Duke Energy from $110.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Thursday, August 29th. KeyCorp cut shares of Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $120.00 to $126.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $121.85.

Insider Transactions at Duke Energy

In other Duke Energy news, EVP Louis E. Renjel sold 540 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.64, for a total value of $61,365.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 19,884 shares in the company, valued at $2,259,617.76. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.