Cassia Capital Partners LLC Grows Holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Cassia Capital Partners LLC increased its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 30.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,536 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 2,253 shares during the period. Duke Energy comprises 0.7% of Cassia Capital Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Cassia Capital Partners LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $1,027,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of DUK. Greenwood Capital Associates LLC boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 5.0% in the fourth quarter. Greenwood Capital Associates LLC now owns 31,087 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,349,000 after acquiring an additional 1,480 shares during the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. raised its stake in Duke Energy by 17.7% during the fourth quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 5,980 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $644,000 after purchasing an additional 899 shares during the period. Welch Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Welch Group LLC now owns 12,316 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,327,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Longboard Asset Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth $226,000. Finally, Commonwealth Financial Services LLC boosted its holdings in Duke Energy by 6.6% in the fourth quarter. Commonwealth Financial Services LLC now owns 3,337 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $360,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Duke Energy stock opened at $112.46 on Wednesday. Duke Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $90.09 and a 52 week high of $121.25. 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 stock has a market cap of $86.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.50. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $110.00 and a 200-day moving average of $112.61.

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 the consensus estimate of $1.73 by ($0.11). Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.34% and a net margin of 14.31%. The company had revenue of $8.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.06 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.94 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.045 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.72%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 76.84%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday. KeyCorp lowered shares of Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Mizuho upgraded 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. Scotiabank lifted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.08.

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.