Leo Wealth LLC Boosts Stock Position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Leo Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 25.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 22,755 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,565 shares during the quarter. Leo Wealth LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $2,452,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. CGC Financial Services LLC grew its stake in Duke Energy by 366.7% in the fourth quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Duke Energy by 332.9% during the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 316 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares during the period. Finally, Reston Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter worth $38,000. 65.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Duke Energy Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of Duke Energy stock opened at $114.43 on Friday. Duke Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $90.09 and a 12-month high of $121.25. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $109.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $112.66. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $88.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.03, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.50.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.62 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.73 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $8.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.06 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.34% and a net margin of 14.31%. The business’s revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.94 EPS. Analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.91 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a $1.045 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.65%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 76.84%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. KeyCorp lowered shares of Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Mizuho raised shares of Duke Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $116.00 to $121.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Finally, Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.08.

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.