Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. Increases Stock Position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. raised its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 802.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 95,510 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 84,924 shares during the quarter. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V.'s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $10,290,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 1,500.0% during the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 288 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares during the period. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, CGC Financial Services LLC lifted its position in Duke Energy by 366.7% during the 4th quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company's stock.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:DUK traded down $0.84 during trading on Friday, hitting $119.86. 2,717,155 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,385,983. Duke Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $97.49 and a 52-week high of $125.27. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $118.19 and a 200 day moving average of $114.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The company has a market cap of $93.13 billion, a PE ratio of 20.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.39.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DUK has been the topic of several recent research reports. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $128.00 to $123.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. 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 report on Friday, February 21st. Barclays upped their price target on Duke Energy from $111.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Guggenheim increased their price target on Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $123.87.

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.