Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Sold by Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp lowered its stake in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 14.0% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 2,453,579 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 399,320 shares during the period. Duke Energy comprises 0.6% of Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $264,349,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of DUK. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 1,500.0% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 288 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CGC Financial Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 366.7% in 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 in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Stock Down 0.8 %

Duke Energy stock opened at $118.12 on Tuesday. Duke Energy Co. has a fifty-two week low of $92.75 and a fifty-two week high of $121.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.67. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $114.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $113.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $91.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48.

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

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th were given a dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 73.20%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

DUK has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $123.87.

About Duke Energy

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.