Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Purchased by Family Legacy Inc.

Family Legacy Inc. increased its stake in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 0.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 49,774 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 272 shares during the period. Duke Energy comprises about 1.8% of Family Legacy Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. Family Legacy Inc.’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $5,387,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of DUK. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its position in shares of Duke Energy by 1,500.0% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 288 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on DUK shares. Guggenheim lifted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their price objective on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $123.87.

Duke Energy Price Performance

DUK stock opened at $119.42 on Monday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $115.17 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $113.68. Duke Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $92.75 and a 52 week high of $121.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $92.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th were given a dividend of $1.045 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.50%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 73.20%.

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.