Mutual of America Capital Management LLC Sells 2,523 Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Mutual of America Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 2.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 92,527 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 2,523 shares during the quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $9,969,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in DUK. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. CGC Financial Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 366.7% in the 4th quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC grew its position in Duke Energy by 332.9% in the 4th 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 during the period. Finally, Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE:DUK opened at $117.50 on Friday. 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 $90.77 billion, a PE ratio of 20.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.50. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $111.03 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $113.13. 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 posted its quarterly 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 net margin of 14.90% and a return on equity of 9.50%. Analysts forecast that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed 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 is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.56%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 73.20%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DUK has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. 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 report on Friday, November 22nd. Scotiabank lifted their price target on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target 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.