NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC grew its holdings in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 1.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 177,978 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 2,823 shares during the period. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $21,708,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sky Investment Group LLC boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Sky Investment Group LLC now owns 41,576 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $5,071,000 after purchasing an additional 220 shares in the last quarter. Liberty Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Duke Energy in the 1st quarter worth about $243,000. Willis Investment Counsel boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 18.7% in the 1st quarter. Willis Investment Counsel now owns 132,232 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $16,128,000 after purchasing an additional 20,802 shares in the last quarter. Thomasville National Bank boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 2.6% in the 1st quarter. Thomasville National Bank now owns 228,856 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $27,914,000 after purchasing an additional 5,871 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bellecapital International Ltd. boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Bellecapital International Ltd. now owns 12,552 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,531,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company's stock.
Duke Energy Price Performance
DUK stock traded down $0.53 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $116.75. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,789,470 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,455,358. Duke Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $99.21 and a 12 month high of $125.27. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $90.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a 50 day moving average of $118.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $114.95.
Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $8.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 period in the prior year, the company posted $1.44 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.
Duke Energy Dividend Announcement
The company also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.58%. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 69.32%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on DUK shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on Duke Energy from $128.00 to $123.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $127.00 price target (up previously from $126.00) on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Monday, June 2nd. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Raymond James began coverage on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Friday. They issued a "market perform" rating for the company. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $125.81.
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Duke Energy Company Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
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