Asio Capital LLC Decreases Position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Asio Capital LLC decreased its stake in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 35.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 18,389 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 10,184 shares during the period. Asio Capital LLC's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $2,243,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Mattson Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 270 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company's stock.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of Duke Energy stock traded down $0.53 on Friday, hitting $116.75. 2,789,470 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,458,523. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $90.75 billion, a PE ratio of 20.45, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.37. Duke Energy Co. has a 1 year low of $99.21 and a 1 year high of $125.27. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $118.15 and a 200-day simple moving average of $114.93.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $8.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.70 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.90% and a return on equity of 9.50%. The firm's revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.44 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be given a dividend of $1.045 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.58%. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio is 69.32%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DUK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Raymond James began coverage on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Friday. They issued a "market perform" rating on the stock. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $127.00 target price (up from $126.00) on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Monday, June 2nd. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target 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 lifted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $111.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $125.81.

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.