Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Bought by Godsey & Gibb Inc.

Godsey & Gibb Inc. grew its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 1.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 204,405 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 2,220 shares during the period. Duke Energy accounts for about 2.4% of Godsey & Gibb Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest position. Godsey & Gibb Inc.'s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $24,931,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Persium Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 2.7% in the 1st quarter. Persium Advisors LLC now owns 6,073 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $741,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Intergy Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Duke Energy by 5.2% during the 1st quarter. Intergy Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,223 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $271,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the period. Hudson Valley Investment Advisors Inc. ADV lifted its stake in Duke Energy by 20.8% during the 1st quarter. Hudson Valley Investment Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 19,691 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $2,402,000 after acquiring an additional 3,391 shares during the period. Horizon Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $211,000. Finally, Tower Wealth Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $225,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Duke Energy stock traded down $0.52 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $115.22. 2,094,587 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,456,804. 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 firm's 50-day simple moving average is $118.43 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $114.91. Duke Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $99.21 and a twelve month high of $125.27. The firm has a market cap of $89.56 billion, a PE ratio of 20.18, 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 earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.17. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.50% and a net margin of 14.90%. The company had revenue of $8.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.70 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.44 earnings per share. Duke Energy's quarterly revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders 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 yield of 3.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. Duke Energy's payout ratio is currently 69.32%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on DUK shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $130.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $127.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on Duke Energy from $128.00 to $123.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $111.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $125.81.

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.