7,255 Shares in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Acquired by Bearing Point Capital LLC

Bearing Point Capital LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 7,255 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $782,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 31,353 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $3,378,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in Duke Energy by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,456 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $372,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the period. Intergy Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Duke Energy by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Intergy Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,113 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $228,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its position in Duke Energy by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 7,233 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $779,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Cravens & Co Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Duke Energy by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Cravens & Co Advisors LLC now owns 2,624 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $283,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Duke Energy Trading Down 0.2 %

DUK stock traded down $0.31 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $122.63. 3,466,596 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,377,656. The stock has a market capitalization of $95.29 billion, a PE ratio of 21.48, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.39. Duke Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $99.21 and a 1-year high of $125.27. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $119.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $114.58. 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 (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $8.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.70 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.90% and a return on equity of 9.50%. The business's revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.44 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be given a dividend of $1.045 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.41%. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 73.20%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on DUK. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Guggenheim lifted their price target on Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. UBS Group boosted 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. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Duke Energy from $127.00 to $138.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $111.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $126.00.

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.