Nicholson Wealth Management Group LLC Purchases New Stake in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Nicholson Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 2,125 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $245,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Pinnacle West Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Duke Energy by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle West Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,425 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $444,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Castleview Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Castleview Partners LLC now owns 1,944 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $224,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Chicago Capital LLC increased its holdings in Duke Energy by 0.9% in the third quarter. Chicago Capital LLC now owns 10,163 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,172,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Sachetta LLC lifted its stake in Duke Energy by 41.9% in the second quarter. Sachetta LLC now owns 325 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 1.6% in the second quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,093 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $611,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the period. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

NYSE DUK opened at $119.01 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.81. The company has a fifty day moving average of $115.40 and a 200-day moving average of $107.25. Duke Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $86.61 and a 52-week high of $121.25. The company has a market capitalization of $91.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.90, a P/E/G ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.46.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.16. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.29% and a return on equity of 9.71%. The company had revenue of $7.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.91 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be given a dividend of $1.045 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 15th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.51%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is currently 105.03%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on DUK shares. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Duke Energy from $120.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. KeyCorp lowered shares of Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Mizuho upgraded shares of Duke Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $116.00 to $121.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Duke Energy in a report on Thursday, September 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $138.00 target price for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $121.85.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Louis E. Renjel sold 540 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.64, for a total transaction of $61,365.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 19,884 shares in the company, valued at $2,259,617.76. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.