US Bancorp DE Trims Position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

US Bancorp DE decreased its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 1.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 393,252 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 5,266 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE owned about 0.05% of Duke Energy worth $42,369,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of DUK. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. CGC Financial Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 366.7% in 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 grew its position in Duke Energy by 332.9% during the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 316 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the period. Finally, Reston Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Trading Up 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE DUK opened at $117.50 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $111.03 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $113.13. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $90.77 billion, a PE ratio of 20.58, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.50. Duke Energy Co. has a one year low of $90.09 and a one year high of $121.25.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted 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%. As a group, analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 3.56%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is presently 73.20%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DUK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Scotiabank upped their price objective on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $121.62.

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.