IFM Investors Pty Ltd Raises Holdings in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK)

IFM Investors Pty Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 6.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 231,209 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 13,749 shares during the period. IFM Investors Pty Ltd's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $26,658,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Mattson Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its position in Duke Energy by 1,500.0% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 288 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Duke Energy from $125.00 to $124.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on Duke Energy from $128.00 to $123.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Citigroup upped their price target on Duke Energy from $130.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Raymond James Financial began coverage on Duke Energy in a research report on Friday, June 13th. They set a "market perform" rating on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Duke Energy from $127.00 to $138.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $126.88.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:DUK traded up $0.53 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $117.59. 1,953,866 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,485,630. The firm has a market capitalization of $91.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $117.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $115.37. Duke Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $99.55 and a 12 month 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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.17. The business 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 9.88% and a net margin of 15.40%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.44 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th were paid a $1.045 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 16th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.55%. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 69.32%.

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.