Oxford Asset Management LLP Sells 3,747 Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Oxford Asset Management LLP trimmed its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 43.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,900 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 3,747 shares during the quarter. Oxford Asset Management LLP's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $528,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 1,500.0% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 288 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CGC Financial Services LLC lifted its position in Duke Energy by 366.7% during the 4th quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of Duke Energy stock traded down $0.71 on Thursday, hitting $121.32. The company had a trading volume of 2,609,528 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,389,276. Duke Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $97.49 and a twelve month high of $125.27. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $118.85 and a 200-day moving average of $114.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $94.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.25, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.44.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 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%. Research 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.45%. Duke Energy's payout ratio is 73.20%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. BMO Capital Markets dropped 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. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $111.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average 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.