Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Sold by Comerica Bank

Comerica Bank cut its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 7.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 265,849 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 21,003 shares during the quarter. Comerica Bank's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $28,643,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB boosted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Intergy Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in Duke Energy by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. Intergy Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,113 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $228,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased 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 buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Cravens & Co Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Duke Energy by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. Cravens & Co Advisors LLC now owns 2,624 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $283,000 after buying an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Duke Energy stock traded up $0.26 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $121.59. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,720,048 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,379,198. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.67. Duke Energy Co. has a fifty-two week low of $99.21 and a fifty-two week high of $125.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $94.48 billion, a PE ratio of 21.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.39. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $119.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is $114.57.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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, equities research analysts forecast that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a $1.045 dividend. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.44%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 73.20%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DUK has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $111.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $128.00 to $123.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price 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.