Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Bought by Zimmer Partners LP

Zimmer Partners LP increased its stake in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 40.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,027,600 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 585,600 shares during the period. Duke Energy accounts for about 3.8% of Zimmer Partners LP's portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position. Zimmer Partners LP owned about 0.26% of Duke Energy worth $218,454,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

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

Duke Energy Price Performance

Duke Energy stock opened at $116.98 on Tuesday. Duke Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $99.21 and a 52-week high of $125.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $90.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.49, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $119.29 and a 200-day simple moving average of $114.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52.

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

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a $1.045 dividend. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 69.32%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

DUK has been the subject of several analyst reports. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $127.00 to $138.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $111.00 to $123.00 and gave the company 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 company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $126.00.

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.

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