Kellett Wealth Advisors LLC Cuts Position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Kellett Wealth Advisors LLC decreased its position in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 1.2% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 9,506 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 117 shares during the period. Duke Energy makes up approximately 0.7% of Kellett Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Kellett Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $1,024,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. CGC Financial Services LLC grew its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 242 shares during the last quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 332.9% in the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 316 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 243 shares during the period. Finally, Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of Duke Energy stock opened at $117.29 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $110.46 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $113.06. Duke Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $90.09 and a 12-month high of $121.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. The company has a market cap of $90.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.54, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.50.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. Research analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a dividend of $1.045 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.56%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 73.20%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on DUK. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Scotiabank upped their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $121.62.

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.