Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Acquired by Counterweight Ventures LLC

Counterweight Ventures LLC grew its holdings in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 145.4% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 23,590 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,976 shares during the quarter. Duke Energy accounts for 1.9% of Counterweight Ventures LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Counterweight Ventures LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $2,720,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of DUK. PBMares Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. PBMares Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,886 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $563,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle West Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Duke Energy by 2.1% in the second quarter. Pinnacle West Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,425 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $444,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Castleview Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Castleview Partners LLC now owns 1,944 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $224,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Duke Energy by 1.4% in the third quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 6,591 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $760,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the period. Finally, Baron Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 3.5% during the third quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,730 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $315,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE DUK opened at $113.18 on Tuesday. Duke Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $88.27 and a twelve month high of $121.25. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $115.33 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $109.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $87.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.62 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.73 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $8.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.06 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.34% and a net margin of 14.31%. The company’s revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.94 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be given a $1.045 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 15th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.69%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is presently 76.84%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on DUK. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Thursday, August 29th. KeyCorp lowered shares of Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $111.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Duke Energy in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $138.00 target price on the stock. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Duke Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $121.85.

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.