Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK)

Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading on Tuesday. Stock traders bought 5,791 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 51% compared to the average volume of 3,844 call options.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

DUK stock traded up $1.94 on Friday, hitting $116.78. The company had a trading volume of 3,479,247 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,428,490. Duke Energy has a 12-month low of $92.75 and a 12-month high of $121.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $111.81 and its 200 day simple moving average is $113.25. The stock has a market cap of $90.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Duke Energy will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.58%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 73.20%.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DUK has been the subject of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Guggenheim raised their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $122.57.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 1,500.0% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 288 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company's stock.

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.