1,668 Shares in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Purchased by Regatta Capital Group LLC

Regatta Capital Group LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 1,668 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $203,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bcwm LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $9,815,000. Bailard Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 10.9% in the fourth quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 31,921 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,439,000 after buying an additional 3,139 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 25.7% in the 4th quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 35,755 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,852,000 after acquiring an additional 7,319 shares during the last quarter. First Business Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $384,000. Finally, Alley Investment Management Company LLC grew its position in Duke Energy by 36.4% in the 4th quarter. Alley Investment Management Company LLC now owns 76,477 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $8,240,000 after acquiring an additional 20,414 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Down 0.4%

DUK stock opened at $115.22 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $89.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. Duke Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $99.21 and a 1-year high of $125.27. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $118.43 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $114.91.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.17. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.50% and a net margin of 14.90%. The business had revenue of $8.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.70 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.44 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be given a $1.045 dividend. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 69.32%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have issued reports on DUK shares. Guggenheim raised 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. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $111.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Duke Energy from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $125.81.

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.