Vinva Investment Management Ltd Acquires 9,726 Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Vinva Investment Management Ltd raised its holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 79.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 21,993 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 9,726 shares during the period. Vinva Investment Management Ltd's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $2,369,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 1,500.0% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 288 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, CGC Financial Services LLC lifted its stake in Duke Energy by 366.7% in the fourth 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 during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on DUK shares. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday. 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 note on Friday, February 21st. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Guggenheim raised their target price 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 given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $123.87.

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Duke Energy Price Performance

Duke Energy stock traded down $0.98 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $118.12. 3,904,744 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,002,480. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $114.16 and a 200-day simple moving average of $113.65. The firm has a market cap of $91.78 billion, a PE ratio of 20.69, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.44. Duke Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $92.75 and a 12 month high of $121.47.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.05. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.50% and a net margin of 14.90%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th were paid a $1.045 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.54%. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 73.20%.

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.