Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC Acquires 4,980 Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 39.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,666 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 4,980 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $1,903,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the third quarter worth about $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. CGC Financial Services LLC grew its stake 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 purchasing an additional 242 shares during the last quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC grew its stake 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 worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on DUK shares. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price 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 lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Guggenheim lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $122.57.

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Duke Energy Stock Up 1.7 %

NYSE DUK traded up $1.94 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $116.78. The stock had a trading volume of 3,479,247 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,428,490. Duke Energy Co. has a 1 year low of $92.75 and a 1 year high of $121.25. The stock has a market cap of $90.68 billion, a PE ratio of 20.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $111.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $113.25. 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 - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.05. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.90% and a return on equity of 9.50%. On average, research analysts expect that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.045 per share. 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 3.58%. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 73.20%.

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.