Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) Shares Acquired by United Community Bank

United Community Bank increased its stake in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 264.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 24,826 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 18,020 shares during the quarter. Duke Energy makes up 1.1% of United Community Bank's holdings, making the stock its 16th largest position. United Community Bank's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $3,028,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in DUK. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Mattson Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Hoey Investments Inc. purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Duke Energy Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE DUK traded down $0.13 during trading on Thursday, reaching $117.66. The stock had a trading volume of 742,180 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,459,036. Duke Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $105.20 and a fifty-two week high of $125.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 0.77. The business's 50-day moving average price is $116.52 and its 200-day moving average price is $115.88. The company has a market cap of $91.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.50, a PEG ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.37.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.17. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.40% and a return on equity of 9.88%. The company had revenue of $8.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.70 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.44 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.065 per share. This is an increase from Duke Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $1.05. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.62%. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio is 69.32%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on DUK. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $125.00 to $124.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Duke Energy from $122.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on Duke Energy from $128.00 to $123.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Raymond James Financial started coverage on Duke Energy in a report on Friday, June 13th. They issued a "market perform" rating on the stock. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on Duke Energy from $130.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $127.25.

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.