Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Bought by Fifth Third Bancorp

Fifth Third Bancorp raised its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 5.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 312,210 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 15,747 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $38,080,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Duke Energy by 11.6% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,754 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $728,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in Duke Energy by 16.6% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 19,365 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $2,086,000 after buying an additional 2,764 shares during the period. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $69,000. Certuity LLC lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 29.5% during the 4th quarter. Certuity LLC now owns 3,380 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $364,000 after acquiring an additional 770 shares during the period. Finally, Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC raised its stake in Duke Energy by 70.5% during the 4th quarter. Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC now owns 3,553 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $383,000 after buying an additional 1,469 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on DUK. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Duke Energy from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Raymond James started coverage on Duke Energy in a report on Friday. They set a "market perform" rating for the company. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $128.00 to $123.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Guggenheim increased their price objective on Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on Duke Energy from $111.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $125.81.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of DUK stock traded down $1.65 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $115.21. 2,024,579 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,453,382. 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 Co. has a 52-week low of $99.21 and a 52-week high of $125.27. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $118.15 and a 200 day moving average of $114.91. The company has a market cap of $89.54 billion, a PE ratio of 20.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.37.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.76 earnings per share 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 analyst estimates of $7.70 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.50% and a net margin of 14.90%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.44 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share 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 paid a $1.045 dividend. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.63%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. Duke Energy's payout ratio is 69.32%.

Duke Energy 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.