Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Stock Position Reduced by Venturi Wealth Management LLC

Venturi Wealth Management LLC cut its stake in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 13.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,178 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 667 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $450,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in DUK. KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC grew its position in Duke Energy by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC now owns 52,097 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $5,613,000 after acquiring an additional 2,705 shares in the last quarter. CCM Investment Advisers LLC grew its position in Duke Energy by 24.3% in the fourth quarter. CCM Investment Advisers LLC now owns 83,610 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $9,008,000 after acquiring an additional 16,356 shares in the last quarter. Pines Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,032,000. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in Duke Energy by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 296,463 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $31,941,000 after acquiring an additional 9,070 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Corundum Group Inc. bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,566,000. 65.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Duke Energy Trading Up 0.8 %

Shares of DUK opened at $111.78 on Thursday. Duke Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $90.09 and a 12-month high of $121.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $86.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.50. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $109.88 and its 200 day moving average price is $112.97.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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, research analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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 is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.74%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 73.20%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their target price 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. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $122.08.

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.