Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. Trims Holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. lowered its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 29.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 17,112 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 7,129 shares during the period. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.'s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $1,843,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Morse Asset Management Inc bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $173,000. Invst LLC boosted its holdings in Duke Energy by 19.4% in the third quarter. Invst LLC now owns 2,583 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $298,000 after acquiring an additional 419 shares in the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,012,000. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 5.7% in the 3rd quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd now owns 23,349 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $2,677,000 after purchasing an additional 1,250 shares during the period. Finally, Chelsea Counsel Co. grew its position in shares of Duke Energy by 14.9% during the third quarter. Chelsea Counsel Co. now owns 2,701 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $311,000 after purchasing an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of Duke Energy stock traded up $0.41 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $122.11. 2,998,474 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,389,101. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. Duke Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $97.49 and a 52 week high of $125.27. The stock has a market cap of $94.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.39, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.39. The firm's fifty day moving average is $118.71 and its 200-day moving average is $114.48.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share 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%. Research analysts expect that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DUK has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. UBS Group increased their price target on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Guggenheim raised their target price on Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, March 20th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $123.87.

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.