Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Purchased by Private Trust Co. NA

Private Trust Co. NA boosted its holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 9.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 15,931 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,408 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $1,716,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. CGC Financial Services LLC raised its position 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 purchasing an additional 242 shares during the period. Winch Advisory Services LLC raised its position in Duke Energy by 332.9% in the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 316 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares during the period. Finally, Reston Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Duke Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Stock Up 1.4 %

Duke Energy stock opened at $117.50 on Friday. 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 stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $111.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $113.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $90.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.50. Duke Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $90.09 and a twelve month high of $121.25.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its 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 analysts expect that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.045 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.56%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is currently 73.20%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their target price on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $121.62.

Duke Energy Company 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.