Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Price Target Raised to $127.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) had its price target boosted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $122.00 to $127.00 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the utilities provider’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on DUK. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $127.00 price objective (up from $124.00) on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Friday, July 11th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $125.00 to $124.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. Raymond James Financial began coverage on Duke Energy in a report on Friday, June 13th. They set a “market perform” rating on the stock. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $130.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $122.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 1st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $127.25.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

DUK opened at $117.55 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 0.77. Duke Energy has a 52-week low of $105.20 and a 52-week high of $125.27. The firm has a market cap of $91.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.37. The business’s fifty day moving average is $116.47 and its 200-day moving average is $115.95.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.17. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.88% and a net margin of 15.40%. The business had revenue of $8.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.70 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.44 EPS. Duke Energy’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Duke Energy will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a $1.065 dividend. This represents a $4.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.62%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This is an increase from Duke Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.05. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 69.32%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duke Energy

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of DUK. Activest Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 98.1% during the 1st quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 212 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 1st quarter worth $27,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Mattson Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.