Shepherd Financial Partners LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Shepherd Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,802 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 287 shares during the period. Shepherd Financial Partners LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $3,103,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. CGC Financial Services LLC raised its position in Duke Energy by 366.7% during the fourth quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 242 shares during the last quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 332.9% in the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 316 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Reston Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Trading Up 0.4 %

NYSE:DUK opened at $115.01 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $88.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.14, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. Duke Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $90.09 and a 12 month high of $121.25. The company’s 50 day moving average is $109.78 and its 200-day moving average is $112.67.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.62 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.73 by ($0.11). Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.31% and a return on equity of 9.34%. The company had revenue of $8.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.06 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.94 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.91 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a $1.045 dividend. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.63%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is presently 76.84%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on DUK shares. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. KeyCorp lowered shares of Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Scotiabank boosted their price target on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Mizuho upgraded Duke Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the company from $116.00 to $121.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.08.

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.