Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Given New $135.00 Price Target at Guggenheim

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) had its price target hoisted by analysts at Guggenheim from $132.00 to $135.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the utilities provider’s stock. Guggenheim’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 16.62% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Scotiabank boosted their price target on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.57.

Duke Energy Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of DUK stock traded down $0.65 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $115.76. 197,934 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,336,934. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $111.38 and a 200 day moving average of $113.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. Duke Energy has a 1 year low of $92.75 and a 1 year high of $121.25. The firm has a market cap of $89.42 billion, a PE ratio of 20.25, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.50.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.05. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.90% and a return on equity of 9.50%. Analysts expect that Duke Energy will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Bailard Inc. raised its position in shares of Duke Energy by 10.9% in the 4th quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 31,921 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $3,439,000 after purchasing an additional 3,139 shares in the last quarter. KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Duke Energy by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC now owns 52,097 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $5,613,000 after buying an additional 2,705 shares in the last quarter. Pines Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $1,032,000. CCM Investment Advisers LLC raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 24.3% in the fourth quarter. CCM Investment Advisers LLC now owns 83,610 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $9,008,000 after acquiring an additional 16,356 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 296,463 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $31,941,000 after purchasing an additional 9,070 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

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.