Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Stock Holdings Lessened by Marks Group Wealth Management Inc

Marks Group Wealth Management Inc cut its stake in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 25.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 14,698 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 4,985 shares during the quarter. Marks Group Wealth Management Inc’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $1,584,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. CGC Financial Services LLC raised its stake in Duke Energy by 366.7% during the 4th quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares during the period. Winch Advisory Services LLC lifted 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 valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Reston Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the third quarter worth $38,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:DUK opened at $116.26 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $89.81 billion, a PE ratio of 21.37, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.50. Duke Energy Co. has a 1 year low of $90.09 and a 1 year high of $121.25. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $109.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $112.91.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The business 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 of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.60%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.84%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

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.