Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Acquired by SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC

SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 3.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,205 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 230 shares during the quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $757,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in DUK. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Mattson Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Duke Energy stock opened at $115.22 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $118.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $114.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $89.56 billion, a PE ratio of 20.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.37.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.17. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.50% and a net margin of 14.90%. The business had revenue of $8.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.70 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.44 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.63%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.32%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on DUK. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Guggenheim upped their price target on Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on Duke Energy from $128.00 to $123.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 10th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $127.00 price target (up from $126.00) on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Monday, June 2nd. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on Duke Energy from $111.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.81.

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.