Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Purchased by Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC

Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 86.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 148,703 shares of the utilities provider's stock after acquiring an additional 68,977 shares during the quarter. Duke Energy accounts for approximately 2.5% of Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest position. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $16,021,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the third quarter worth $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Reston Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 334 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares during the period. Finally, Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 82.7% during the 3rd quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 360 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on DUK shares. Morgan Stanley lowered 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 report on Friday, November 22nd. Barclays upped their price objective on Duke Energy from $102.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Duke Energy in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $138.00 target price on the stock. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $120.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, KeyCorp lowered shares of Duke Energy from an "overweight" rating to a "sector weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $122.23.

Duke Energy Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of DUK stock traded down $0.46 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $106.39. 3,790,897 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,083,575. 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 Co. has a 12 month low of $90.09 and a 12 month high of $121.25. The stock has a market cap of $82.18 billion, a PE ratio of 19.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.49. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $110.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $111.87.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.73 by ($0.11). Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.34% and a net margin of 14.31%. The company had revenue of $8.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.06 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.94 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.95 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The company 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 dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.93%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 76.84%.

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.