Sabal Trust CO Decreases Stock Holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Sabal Trust CO lessened its stake in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 1.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 224,653 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 2,931 shares during the quarter. Duke Energy comprises about 1.4% of Sabal Trust CO’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Sabal Trust CO’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $24,204,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in DUK. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. CGC Financial Services LLC boosted its position in Duke Energy by 366.7% in the fourth quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares during the last quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC grew its stake 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 valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares during the period. Finally, Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Duke Energy Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of DUK stock opened at $117.29 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $110.46 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $113.06. Duke Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $90.09 and a 52 week high of $121.25. The stock has a market cap of $90.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.54, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.05. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.50% and a net margin of 14.90%. Analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a dividend of $1.045 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.56%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 73.20%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DUK has been the topic of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Scotiabank upped their price objective on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their target price 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 equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $121.62.

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.