Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Receives New Coverage from Analysts at Jefferies Financial Group

Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm set a "buy" rating and a $138.00 price target on the utilities provider's stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price objective suggests a potential upside of 19.85% from the company's previous close.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Barclays lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $99.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on Duke Energy from $102.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on Duke Energy from $108.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $117.00 to $121.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $116.36.

Duke Energy Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of Duke Energy stock traded down $0.74 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $115.14. 3,939,238 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,942,076. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $112.11 and a 200-day moving average of $103.58. Duke Energy has a 12 month low of $83.06 and a 12 month high of $118.31. The company has a market cap of $88.86 billion, a PE ratio of 28.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.81.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $7.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.84 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.29% and a return on equity of 9.71%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.91 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Duke Energy will post 5.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Duke Energy

In other news, EVP Louis E. Renjel sold 540 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.64, for a total value of $61,365.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 19,884 shares in the company, valued at $2,259,617.76. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duke Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its stake in Duke Energy by 69.6% during the 2nd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 290 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Olistico Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Cedar Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 101.2% in the first quarter. Cedar Wealth Management LLC now owns 336 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 169 shares during the period. 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.

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