Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Stock Position Decreased by Sugarloaf Wealth Management LLC

Sugarloaf Wealth Management LLC decreased its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 7.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,712 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 132 shares during the quarter. Sugarloaf Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $184,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Reston Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 334 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Duke Energy by 82.7% in the 3rd quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 360 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of DUK stock traded down $1.98 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $106.25. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,556,543 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,860,974. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $111.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $111.59. The company has a market cap of $82.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.53, a PEG ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.49. Duke Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $90.09 and a 1-year high of $121.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.70.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.62 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.73 by ($0.11). Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.34% and a net margin of 14.31%. The business had revenue of $8.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.94 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.93%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 76.84%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on DUK shares. KeyCorp downgraded Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group started 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 for the company. Scotiabank raised 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. Mizuho upgraded Duke Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their target price for the company from $116.00 to $121.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $122.23.

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.