Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Stake Boosted by Thomasville National Bank

Thomasville National Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 3.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 222,985 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 6,484 shares during the period. Duke Energy makes up about 1.7% of Thomasville National Bank’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Thomasville National Bank’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $24,024,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in DUK. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Reston Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $38,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 334 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 82.7% during the 3rd quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 360 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently commented on DUK. Scotiabank increased their price objective on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Thursday, September 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $138.00 target price on the stock. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $102.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. KeyCorp downgraded shares of Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Duke Energy from $120.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.23.

Duke Energy Price Performance

DUK traded down $0.63 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $105.24. 647,894 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,755,736. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. Duke Energy Co. has a one year low of $90.09 and a one year high of $121.25. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $111.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $111.79.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.62 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.73 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $8.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.06 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.34% and a net margin of 14.31%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.94 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.95 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a $1.045 dividend. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.97%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.84%.

About Duke Energy

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.