Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Acquired by Kestra Investment Management LLC

Kestra Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 6.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,937 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 118 shares during the quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $209,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Duke Energy by 27.4% in the 3rd quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 17,002 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,960,000 after acquiring an additional 3,656 shares during the last quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $277,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 19.9% in the 3rd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 28,436 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,279,000 after purchasing an additional 4,728 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $609,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $122.08.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of DUK stock opened at $111.78 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $86.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.58, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.50. 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 fifty-two week low of $90.09 and a fifty-two week high of $121.25. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $109.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $112.97.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. Analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be issued a dividend of $1.045 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.74%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 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.