Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Purchased by QRG Capital Management Inc.

QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 9.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 201,257 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 18,065 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $24,547,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Raymond James started coverage on Duke Energy in a report on Friday. They issued a "market perform" rating for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased 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. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $127.00 to $138.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $127.00 price objective (up previously from $126.00) on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Monday, June 2nd. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $125.81.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of Duke Energy stock traded down $1.55 on Monday, reaching $115.31. 3,275,993 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,457,793. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $118.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $114.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $89.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.19, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.37. Duke Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $99.21 and a twelve 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.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $8.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.70 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.90% and a return on equity of 9.50%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.44 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a $1.045 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.62%. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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.