Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Purchased by Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC

Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 36.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,859 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 764 shares during the quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $349,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Mattson Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

NYSE DUK opened at $115.47 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $89.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.22, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.37. Duke Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $99.21 and a 1-year high of $125.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $118.33 and a two-hundred day moving average of $114.91.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $8.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.70 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.90% and a return on equity of 9.50%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.44 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a $1.045 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.62%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 69.32%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $127.00 to $138.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group increased 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. Citigroup raised their target price on Duke Energy from $130.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $127.00 price target (up previously from $126.00) on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Monday, June 2nd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus 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.