one8zero8 LLC Invests $7.02 Million in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

one8zero8 LLC bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 65,165 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $7,021,000. Duke Energy comprises approximately 1.5% of one8zero8 LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of DUK. Choate Investment Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $537,000. Natixis Advisors LLC grew its position in Duke Energy by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 709,944 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $76,489,000 after purchasing an additional 24,269 shares during the last quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC increased its stake in Duke Energy by 8.0% during the 4th quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC now owns 8,342 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $899,000 after purchasing an additional 618 shares in the last quarter. First Financial Group Corp purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth $575,000. Finally, Picton Mahoney Asset Management grew its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 54.7% during the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 5,002 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $539,000 after buying an additional 1,768 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Duke Energy stock opened at $120.29 on Friday. 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 company’s fifty day moving average price is $112.86 and its 200 day moving average price is $113.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $93.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48. Duke Energy Co. has a 1 year low of $92.75 and a 1 year high of $121.25.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 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%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.48%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 73.20%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

DUK has been the subject of a number of research reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their target price 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 analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.93.

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.