Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Sold by Marks Group Wealth Management Inc

Marks Group Wealth Management Inc lessened its position in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 25.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,698 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 4,985 shares during the period. Marks Group Wealth Management Inc’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $1,584,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in DUK. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new position in Duke Energy in the third quarter worth about $30,000. CGC Financial Services LLC boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 366.7% in the fourth quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 242 shares during the period. Winch Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Duke Energy by 332.9% during the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 316 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares during the period. Finally, Reston Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE DUK opened at $116.26 on Thursday. Duke Energy Co. has a 1 year low of $90.09 and a 1 year high of $121.25. The firm has a market cap of $89.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.37, a PEG ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.50. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $109.80 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $112.91. 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 Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th will be issued a dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.60%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is currently 76.84%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on DUK. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. KeyCorp lowered shares of Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped 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. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $122.08.

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.