Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Stock Position Lowered by Maryland State Retirement & Pension System

Maryland State Retirement & Pension System trimmed its position in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 6.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 41,566 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 2,931 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $4,478,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of DUK. Compass Ion Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $208,000. Xponance Inc. lifted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 110,162 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $11,869,000 after purchasing an additional 4,278 shares in the last quarter. Horizon Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 14,542 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,567,000 after purchasing an additional 386 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Duke Energy by 8.4% during the fourth quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 41,504 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $4,472,000 after purchasing an additional 3,201 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kennondale Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,386,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Price Performance

NYSE DUK opened at $119.31 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $113.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $113.61. Duke Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $92.75 and a twelve month high of $121.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $92.64 billion, a PE ratio of 20.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.67.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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%. Research analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Duke Energy Company 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.