Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Sold by Zions Bancorporation N.A.

Zions Bancorporation N.A. trimmed its holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 40.4% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 55,568 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 37,644 shares during the period. Zions Bancorporation N.A.’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $6,407,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of DUK. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in Duke Energy by 11.7% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 13,524 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,308,000 after buying an additional 1,420 shares during the period. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC increased its stake in Duke Energy by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 11,141 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,077,000 after buying an additional 339 shares during the period. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC increased its stake in Duke Energy by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 4,702 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $455,000 after buying an additional 141 shares during the period. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Duke Energy by 6.7% in the 1st quarter. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,721 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $933,000 after buying an additional 607 shares during the period. Finally, Twin Tree Management LP acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the 1st quarter valued at $45,000. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Price Performance

NYSE:DUK opened at $111.27 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $85.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.47. 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 company’s 50-day moving average is $115.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $109.08. Duke Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $88.27 and a 12-month high of $121.25.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.73 by ($0.11). Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.31% and a return on equity of 9.34%. The firm had revenue of $8.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.06 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.94 earnings per share. Duke Energy’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.97 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.76%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 15th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 76.84%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on DUK. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $111.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $114.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $138.00 target price on the stock. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $120.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $102.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $121.85.

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.