Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Acquired by Convergence Financial LLC

Convergence Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 5.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 11,410 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 616 shares during the period. Convergence Financial LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $1,229,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Nwam LLC boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Nwam LLC now owns 5,270 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $568,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares during the last quarter. Heritage Investors Management Corp boosted its holdings in Duke Energy by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. Heritage Investors Management Corp now owns 9,177 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $989,000 after purchasing an additional 1,061 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $176,000. Simmons Bank raised its position in shares of Duke Energy by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Simmons Bank now owns 33,761 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $3,637,000 after buying an additional 1,268 shares during the period. Finally, Armstrong Fleming & Moore Inc lifted its holdings in Duke Energy by 9.2% in the fourth quarter. Armstrong Fleming & Moore Inc now owns 2,062 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $222,000 after acquiring an additional 173 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of DUK stock opened at $116.34 on Thursday. Duke Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $90.09 and a 52-week high of $121.25. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $110.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $113.08. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $89.87 billion, a PE ratio of 20.37, a price-to-earnings-growth 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 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.05. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.50% and a net margin of 14.90%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast 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. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.045 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.59%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 73.20%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Scotiabank lifted their target price on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Duke Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.