Compass Ion Advisors LLC Makes New $208,000 Investment in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Compass Ion Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 1,926 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $208,000.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Xponance Inc. grew its stake in Duke Energy by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 110,162 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $11,869,000 after purchasing an additional 4,278 shares during the last quarter. Horizon Investments LLC boosted its position in Duke Energy by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 14,542 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,567,000 after buying an additional 386 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Duke Energy by 8.4% in the 4th quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 41,504 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $4,472,000 after buying an additional 3,201 shares during the period. Kennondale Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,386,000. Finally, PDS Planning Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 3,378 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $364,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Duke Energy Trading Down 1.2 %

DUK stock opened at $119.31 on Thursday. Duke Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $92.75 and a 12-month high of $121.47. The business’s 50-day moving average is $113.66 and its 200 day moving average is $113.61. 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 stock has a market cap of $92.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.89, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued 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%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th were given a dividend of $1.045 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.50%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is presently 73.20%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DUK has been the subject of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Guggenheim lifted their price target on Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Six research 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 a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $122.93.

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.