ZynergyRetirementPlanningLLC Invests $106,000 in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK)

ZynergyRetirementPlanningLLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 872 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $106,000.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Mattson Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its position in Duke Energy by 1,500.0% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 288 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on DUK shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Duke Energy from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $125.00 to $132.00 in a report on Wednesday. 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. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Duke Energy from $125.00 to $124.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $111.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $130.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $126.94.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Duke Energy stock opened at $116.39 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $90.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.30, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.37. Duke Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $99.21 and a 12-month high of $125.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $117.62 and its 200 day simple moving average is $115.01.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted its quarterly 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 net margin of 15.40% and a return on equity of 9.88%. The business had revenue of $8.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.70 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.44 earnings per share. Duke Energy’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th were issued a $1.045 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 16th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.59%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.32%.

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.