Zimmer Partners LP Has $218.45 Million Holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Zimmer Partners LP increased its holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 40.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,027,600 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 585,600 shares during the quarter. Duke Energy makes up approximately 3.8% of Zimmer Partners LP's holdings, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Zimmer Partners LP owned about 0.26% of Duke Energy worth $218,454,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its position in Duke Energy by 1,500.0% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 288 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CGC Financial Services LLC boosted 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 valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

DUK traded up $0.94 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $116.51. 2,683,676 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,439,012. The stock has a market capitalization of $90.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.40, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. The company's fifty day moving average price is $119.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $114.65. Duke Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $99.21 and a 52-week high of $125.27.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 period in the previous year, the business earned $1.44 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be given a dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.59%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. Duke Energy's payout ratio is 69.32%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday. 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. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $128.00 to $123.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Duke Energy has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $125.81.

About Duke Energy

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.