Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Bought by Abacus Planning Group Inc.

Abacus Planning Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 4.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,967 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 362 shares during the period. Abacus Planning Group Inc.’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $858,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in DUK. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. CGC Financial Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 242 shares during the period. Finally, Winch Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 332.9% during 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 during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

DUK stock opened at $111.78 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. The company has a market capitalization of $86.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.50. Duke Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $90.09 and a 12 month high of $121.25. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $109.88 and a two-hundred day moving average of $112.97.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted its 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 net margin of 14.90% and a return on equity of 9.50%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th will be issued a dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.74%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 73.20%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on DUK. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 22nd. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target 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. Finally, Scotiabank boosted 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 report on Thursday, December 12th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy presently has an average 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.