Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Shares Gap Up - Time to Buy?

Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) gapped up prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $120.39, but opened at $123.00. Duke Energy shares last traded at $124.23, with a volume of 4,135,379 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on DUK shares. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $111.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. Scotiabank lifted their target price on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $124.20.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

The firm's fifty day moving average is $116.61 and its 200 day moving average is $113.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $90.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.29, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.39.

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Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.05. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.50% and a net margin of 14.90%. On average, analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th were given a $1.045 dividend. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.61%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 73.20%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Duke Energy

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bcwm LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth $9,815,000. Bailard Inc. grew its position in Duke Energy by 10.9% during the fourth quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 31,921 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $3,439,000 after buying an additional 3,139 shares in the last quarter. KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC increased its stake in Duke Energy by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC now owns 52,097 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $5,613,000 after acquiring an additional 2,705 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 25.7% in the 4th quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 35,755 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $3,852,000 after acquiring an additional 7,319 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Business Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $384,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company's stock.

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.