Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Sold by Quent Capital LLC

Quent Capital LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 11.1% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 2,907 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 364 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $313,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the third quarter valued at $30,000. CGC Financial Services LLC boosted its stake in 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 in the last quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 332.9% during the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 316 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the period. Finally, Reston Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the third quarter worth about $38,000. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Trading Up 1.0 %

Shares of DUK stock opened at $116.70 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $109.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $112.85. 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 Co. has a 12 month low of $90.09 and a 12 month high of $121.25. The company has a market cap of $90.15 billion, a PE ratio of 21.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.50.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.58%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.84%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on DUK. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 22nd. KeyCorp lowered Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Mizuho upgraded shares of Duke Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $116.00 to $121.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.08.

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.