Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. Has $10.95 Million Stake in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. increased its holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 12.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 101,582 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 11,154 shares during the quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc.'s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $10,945,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. PBMares Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Duke Energy by 1.8% in the third quarter. PBMares Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,886 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $563,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the period. Kanawha Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 6,591 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $760,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the period. Baron Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,730 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $315,000 after buying an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC now owns 2,416 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $279,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. Finally, Private Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Private Wealth Partners LLC now owns 15,982 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $1,843,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of DUK traded up $2.42 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $115.58. 4,423,961 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,366,634. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. The company has a market cap of $89.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.24, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.50. Duke Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $90.09 and a twelve month high of $121.25. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $109.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $112.97.

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 (EPS) 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, sell-side 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 given a $1.045 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.62%. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 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.