Sargent Investment Group LLC Has $1.08 Million Stock Holdings in Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK)

Sargent Investment Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 27.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,854 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,888 shares during the period. Sargent Investment Group LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $1,080,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Wayfinding Financial LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Mattson Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Hoey Investments Inc. bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE DUK opened at $118.39 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $116.43 and a 200 day moving average of $116.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $92.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.37. Duke Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $105.20 and a 12-month high of $125.27.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $8.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.70 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.44 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter 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 year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a $1.065 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This is a positive change from Duke Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.05. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.60%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 70.65%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Raymond James Financial started coverage on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Friday, June 13th. They set a “market perform” rating on the stock. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $122.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 1st. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $127.00 price target (up previously from $124.00) on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $130.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $128.00 to $123.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $127.25.

About Duke Energy

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.