Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Hits New 52-Week High – Here’s What Happened

Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $122.39 and last traded at $121.00, with a volume of 573513 shares. The stock had previously closed at $119.41.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. BMO Capital Markets upped 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. UBS Group upped their target price on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Guggenheim lifted their price target on Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $123.87.

Duke Energy Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $94.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $115.63 and a 200-day moving average price of $113.75.

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

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th were issued a $1.045 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.45%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 73.20%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Mattson Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, WealthTrak Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.