Premier Fund Managers Ltd Sells 5,000 Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Premier Fund Managers Ltd cut its position in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 14.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 30,000 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 5,000 shares during the quarter. Premier Fund Managers Ltd's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $3,232,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the third quarter valued at $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its position in Duke Energy by 1,500.0% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 288 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares during the period. Finally, CGC Financial Services LLC grew its stake in Duke Energy by 366.7% during the 4th quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company's stock.

Duke Energy Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:DUK traded down $0.61 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $121.36. The company had a trading volume of 940,830 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,232,389. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. The business's 50 day moving average price is $115.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $113.73. Duke Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $92.75 and a 1-year high of $122.50. The stock has a market cap of $94.30 billion, a PE ratio of 21.24, 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, beating 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%. Research analysts forecast that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th were given a dividend of $1.045 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.44%. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 73.20%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $123.87.

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.