Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Stake Boosted by Counterweight Ventures LLC

Counterweight Ventures LLC boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 2.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 24,108 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 518 shares during the period. Duke Energy accounts for approximately 1.8% of Counterweight Ventures LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. Counterweight Ventures LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $2,597,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 31,353 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $3,378,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. D Orazio & Associates Inc. grew its position in Duke Energy by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. D Orazio & Associates Inc. now owns 2,746 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $296,000 after acquiring an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 14.8% during the 4th quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 43,584 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $4,696,000 after purchasing an additional 5,615 shares in the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 22.6% in the 4th quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 41,540 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $4,476,000 after purchasing an additional 7,653 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Apollon Financial LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth $2,732,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of DUK opened at $115.01 on Friday. Duke Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $90.09 and a 12 month high of $121.25. The stock 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 50-day moving average price of $109.73 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $112.72. 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 (NYSE:DUK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.62 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.73 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $8.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.06 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.31% and a return on equity of 9.34%. Duke Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.94 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently issued reports on DUK shares. Mizuho upgraded Duke Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $116.00 to $121.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Scotiabank increased 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. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective 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. KeyCorp lowered shares of Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, 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 note on Monday, February 3rd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.08.

Duke Energy 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.