Liberty Wealth Management LLC Purchases 138 Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Liberty Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 7.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,016 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the period. Liberty Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $217,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the third quarter worth about $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. 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 worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Winch Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 332.9% during the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 316 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Price Performance

NYSE DUK opened at $116.69 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $112.40 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $113.36. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. Duke Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $92.75 and a 12-month high of $121.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $90.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.44, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.05. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.90% and a return on equity of 9.50%. Analysts forecast that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 3.58%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is currently 73.20%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DUK has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective 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. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.93.

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.