Banque Cantonale Vaudoise Invests $3.96 Million in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK)

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise acquired a new position in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 32,499 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $3,964,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in DUK. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Duke Energy in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Mattson Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Hoey Investments Inc. purchased a new stake in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company's stock.

Duke Energy Trading Up 0.9%

Duke Energy stock traded up $1.09 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $120.58. The stock had a trading volume of 3,431,658 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,369,901. Duke Energy Corporation has a twelve month low of $105.20 and a twelve month high of $125.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $93.72 billion, a PE ratio of 20.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 0.77. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $117.01 and its 200 day simple moving average is $116.68.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 9.88% and a net margin of 15.40%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.44 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $1.065 per share. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.53%. This is a positive change from Duke Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $1.05. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. Duke Energy's payout ratio is presently 69.32%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Raymond James Financial started coverage on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Friday, June 13th. They issued a "market perform" rating for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $122.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $122.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $132.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Tuesday, July 1st. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $127.00 price target (up from $124.00) on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $127.25.

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.