Clearwater Capital Advisors LLC Sells 113 Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Clearwater Capital Advisors LLC lessened its stake in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 2.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,884 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 113 shares during the period. Clearwater Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $526,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the third quarter worth about $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 1,500.0% during the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 288 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CGC Financial Services LLC increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 366.7% during the fourth quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Trading Up 1.8 %

Duke Energy stock opened at $120.29 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. Duke Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $92.75 and a 12-month high of $121.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $93.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $112.86 and a 200 day moving average of $113.46.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.05. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.50% and a net margin of 14.90%. As a group, research analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a $1.045 dividend. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.48%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is currently 73.20%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on DUK shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $122.93.

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.