Renaissance Technologies LLC Purchases 468,549 Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 148.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 784,299 shares of the utilities provider's stock after acquiring an additional 468,549 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC owned about 0.10% of Duke Energy worth $84,500,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in DUK. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in Duke Energy by 1,500.0% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 288 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CGC Financial Services LLC raised 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 buying an additional 242 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Duke Energy Price Performance

DUK traded up $1.11 on Monday, hitting $120.05. 936,066 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,053,426. Duke Energy Co. has a one year low of $92.75 and a one year high of $125.27. 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 firm has a market cap of $93.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.39. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $116.98 and its 200-day simple moving average is $113.89.

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Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 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, research analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DUK has been the subject of several research analyst reports. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, March 20th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target 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.