Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Position Lifted by Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC

Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 3.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 153,406 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 4,703 shares during the quarter. Duke Energy accounts for about 2.9% of Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest position. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $18,711,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in DUK. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Mattson Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. 65.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on DUK shares. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $127.00 target price (up previously from $126.00) on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Monday, June 2nd. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Barclays lifted their price target 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. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective 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 issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $125.81.

Duke Energy Trading Up 0.2%

DUK traded up $0.23 during trading on Thursday, reaching $116.58. The company had a trading volume of 725,804 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,440,613. 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 business has a 50 day simple moving average of $118.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $114.93. The stock has a market cap of $90.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.42, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.37. 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 released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $8.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.70 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.90% and a return on equity of 9.50%. The business's revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.44 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid 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 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.