Assetmark Inc. Has $4.12 Million Stake in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Assetmark Inc. lifted its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 107.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 38,262 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 19,792 shares during the quarter. Assetmark Inc.’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $4,122,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of DUK. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the third quarter worth $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. CGC Financial Services LLC raised its stake in Duke Energy by 366.7% during the fourth quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Duke Energy by 332.9% during the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 316 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Centricity Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Duke Energy stock opened at $116.78 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $111.81 and its 200 day simple moving average is $113.25. The stock has a market cap of $90.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48. Duke Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $92.75 and a 12-month high of $121.25. 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) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be issued a dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.58%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 73.20%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on DUK. Guggenheim increased their price objective on Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Scotiabank increased their target price on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on 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 research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.57.

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.