Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT Acquires 183 Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT raised its stake in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 1.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 15,962 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the quarter. Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $1,720,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. CGC Financial Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 366.7% in the 4th quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares during the last quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 332.9% during the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 316 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Reston Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Duke Energy stock opened at $115.58 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $89.28 billion, a PE ratio of 20.24, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. Duke Energy Co. has a 1 year low of $90.09 and a 1 year high of $121.25. The company’s 50-day moving average is $110.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $113.00.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 Announces Dividend

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 issued a $1.045 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.62%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 73.20%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on DUK shares. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Scotiabank increased their price target on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, 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. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $121.62.

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.