Biondo Investment Advisors LLC Raises Holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Biondo Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 2.0% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 88,099 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,741 shares during the quarter. Duke Energy comprises 1.3% of Biondo Investment Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest holding. Biondo Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $9,492,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 1,500.0% during the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 288 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, CGC Financial Services LLC raised 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 buying an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of DUK opened at $119.42 on Friday. Duke Energy Co. has a 1 year low of $92.75 and a 1 year high of $121.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $92.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.91, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.67. The company’s fifty day moving average is $115.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $113.72.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted 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%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th were given a $1.045 dividend. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 73.20%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on DUK. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Morgan Stanley boosted 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, March 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Scotiabank upped their price objective 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. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $123.87.

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.