USA Financial Formulas Acquires Shares of 7,460 Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

USA Financial Formulas purchased a new position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 7,460 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $804,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Duke Energy in the third quarter worth about $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Reston Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the third quarter valued at $38,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Duke Energy by 100.0% in the third quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 334 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 82.7% in the third quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 360 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Trading Down 0.4 %

NYSE:DUK opened at $106.39 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $82.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.45. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $110.73 and a 200-day moving average price of $111.87. Duke Energy Co. has a one year low of $90.09 and a one year high of $121.25.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.62 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.73 by ($0.11). Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.34% and a net margin of 14.31%. The company had revenue of $8.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.06 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.94 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.95 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a $1.045 dividend. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.93%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 76.84%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on DUK shares. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $120.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Duke Energy in a research note on Thursday, September 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $138.00 price target for the company. Barclays increased their price objective on Duke Energy from $102.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, KeyCorp lowered Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.23.

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.