Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA Buys 518 Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA raised its stake in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 21.7% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 2,905 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 518 shares during the period. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $319,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of DUK. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. CGC Financial Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 366.7% in the fourth quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 242 shares during the period. Winch Advisory Services LLC grew its stake 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 acquiring an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Trading Up 1.7 %

DUK opened at $116.78 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $90.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.45, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48. 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’s 50 day moving average is $111.81 and its 200-day moving average is $113.25. Duke Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $92.75 and a 1-year high of $121.25.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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%. Equities research analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a $1.045 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.58%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 73.20%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on DUK. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Scotiabank increased their price target on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price 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. Finally, Guggenheim boosted their price target on Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.57.

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.