Junto Capital Management LP Has $40.10 Million Position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Junto Capital Management LP lessened its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK - Free Report) by 22.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 372,195 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 107,140 shares during the period. Junto Capital Management LP's holdings in Duke Energy were worth $40,100,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 1,500.0% in the 4th 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 period. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, CGC Financial Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 366.7% in the fourth quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company's stock.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of DUK stock traded up $0.33 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $116.27. The stock had a trading volume of 2,961,960 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,422,805. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $119.32 and its 200 day simple moving average is $114.53. 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 cap of $90.37 billion, a PE ratio of 20.36, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.39. Duke Energy Co. has a one year low of $99.21 and a one year high of $125.27.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $8.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.70 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.90% and a return on equity of 9.50%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.44 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

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 issued a dividend of $1.045 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.60%. Duke Energy's dividend payout ratio is 69.32%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DUK has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. 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. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $130.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $127.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $126.00.

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.