Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Holdings Decreased by Cresset Asset Management LLC

Cresset Asset Management LLC reduced its holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 72.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 14,275 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 37,234 shares during the period. Cresset Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $1,538,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Crestline Management LP acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $5,387,000. Capital Advantage Inc. bought a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $263,000. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP lifted its stake in Duke Energy by 263.1% in the fourth quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP now owns 94,893 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $10,224,000 after acquiring an additional 68,759 shares during the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 403,481 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $43,471,000 after purchasing an additional 1,233 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cary Street Partners Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $3,284,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of DUK stock opened at $120.31 on Friday. Duke Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $99.21 and a 12 month high of $125.27. The company has a market capitalization of $93.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.39. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $119.48 and a two-hundred day moving average of $114.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52.

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

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.47%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 69.32%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on DUK. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Duke Energy from $127.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $126.00.

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.