Ellsworth Advisors LLC Invests $5.32 Million in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Ellsworth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 49,418 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $5,324,000. Duke Energy makes up 1.4% of Ellsworth Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in Duke Energy by 332.9% in the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 316 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Reston Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 100.0% during the third quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 334 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of 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 upped their price target 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. Mizuho upgraded Duke Energy from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $116.00 to $121.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. KeyCorp downgraded Duke Energy from an "overweight" rating to a "sector weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $102.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $122.23.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

NYSE:DUK traded up $0.28 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $109.34. 2,928,344 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,915,086. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $84.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.10, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.49. Duke Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $90.09 and a 1-year high of $121.25. The company has a 50-day moving average of $110.47 and a 200 day moving average of $112.05.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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). The firm had revenue of $8.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.06 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.31% and a return on equity of 9.34%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.94 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.94 EPS 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 dividend of $1.045 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.82%. Duke Energy's payout ratio is currently 76.84%.

Duke Energy 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.