Stack Financial Management Inc Reduces Position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Stack Financial Management Inc lowered its holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 0.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 198,400 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 1,598 shares during the period. Duke Energy comprises 2.0% of Stack Financial Management Inc’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest position. Stack Financial Management Inc’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $21,376,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. PBMares Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Duke Energy by 1.8% during the third quarter. PBMares Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,886 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $563,000 after buying an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 6,591 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $760,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,730 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $315,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Private Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 0.6% during the third quarter. Private Wealth Partners LLC now owns 15,982 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,843,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clear Creek Financial Management LLC grew its stake in Duke Energy by 4.0% in the third quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC now owns 2,416 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $279,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

DUK opened at $115.86 on Tuesday. Duke Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $90.09 and a 1-year high of $121.25. The company has a market capitalization of $89.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.50. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $110.27 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $113.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.44.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.05. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.50% and a net margin of 14.90%. Research analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm 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 dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.61%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 73.20%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DUK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 22nd. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Scotiabank raised their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $121.62.

About Duke Energy

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.