Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Sold by State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D

State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D cut its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 0.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 288,532 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 2,102 shares during the period. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $31,086,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in DUK. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. CGC Financial Services LLC lifted its position in Duke Energy by 366.7% during the fourth quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Winch Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Duke Energy by 332.9% during the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 316 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Duke Energy stock opened at $111.69 on Monday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $109.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $112.98. Duke Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $90.09 and a 52 week high of $121.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $86.27 billion, a PE ratio of 20.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.05. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.31% and a return on equity of 9.34%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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 paid a $1.045 dividend. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 73.20%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on DUK. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. KeyCorp downgraded Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Scotiabank lifted their target price 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. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced 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 given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.08.

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.