Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) Shares Sold by Miller Financial Services LLC

Miller Financial Services LLC lessened its holdings in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 18.5% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 2,448 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 555 shares during the period. Miller Financial Services LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $299,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Duke Energy by 11.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,754 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $728,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth $282,000. Whittier Trust Co. increased its position in Duke Energy by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 7,999 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $862,000 after buying an additional 133 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its stake in Duke Energy by 22.8% in the fourth quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 5,827 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $628,000 after buying an additional 1,082 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $504,000. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on DUK shares. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $132.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Tuesday, July 1st. Raymond James Financial began coverage on Duke Energy in a report on Friday, June 13th. They set a “market perform” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Duke Energy from $125.00 to $124.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on Duke Energy from $128.00 to $123.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Duke Energy from $122.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $127.25.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Duke Energy stock opened at $118.39 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $116.43 and a 200 day simple moving average of $116.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $92.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57. Duke Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $105.20 and a 12-month high of $125.27.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.17. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.40% and a return on equity of 9.88%. The firm had revenue of $8.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.70 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.44 EPS. Duke Energy’s revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Corporation will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $1.065 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.60%. This is an increase from Duke Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.05. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 69.32%.

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.