Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Sold by Goepper Burkhardt LLC

Goepper Burkhardt LLC lowered its stake in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 30.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,654 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 1,563 shares during the quarter. Goepper Burkhardt LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $394,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 1,500.0% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 288 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 270 shares during the period. Finally, Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of Duke Energy stock opened at $119.42 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $115.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $113.68. Duke Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $92.75 and a 52 week high of $121.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $92.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.91, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.05. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.90% and a return on equity of 9.50%. Research analysts forecast that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th were paid a $1.045 dividend. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.50%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 73.20%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on DUK. Guggenheim increased their price target 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. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target 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. Scotiabank increased their price objective on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $123.87.

About Duke Energy

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.