Premier Fund Managers Ltd Sells 5,000 Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Premier Fund Managers Ltd lowered its holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 14.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 30,000 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 5,000 shares during the period. Premier Fund Managers Ltd’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $3,232,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its position in Duke Energy by 1,500.0% in the fourth 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 last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, CGC Financial Services LLC lifted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of Duke Energy stock opened at $117.67 on Friday. Duke Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $92.75 and a 12-month high of $121.47. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $114.97 and its 200-day moving average is $113.71. 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 capitalization of $91.43 billion, a PE ratio of 20.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48.

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

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th were issued a $1.045 dividend. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.55%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 73.20%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $123.87.

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.