GQG Partners LLC Decreases Holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

GQG Partners LLC reduced its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 98.7% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 57,005 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 4,336,659 shares during the period. GQG Partners LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $6,142,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the third quarter worth about $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Duke Energy by 1,500.0% in the 4th 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. Finally, CGC Financial Services LLC boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 366.7% in the 4th quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Duke Energy Stock Down 0.8 %

DUK stock opened at $118.12 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $114.39 and its 200 day moving average is $113.66. The firm has a market cap of $91.78 billion, a PE ratio of 20.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48. Duke Energy Co. has a one year low of $92.75 and a one year high of $121.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.67.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its quarterly 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 return on equity of 9.50% and a net margin of 14.90%. On average, research analysts forecast that Duke Energy Co. will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th were paid a $1.045 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.54%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 73.20%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 20th. Scotiabank lifted their target price on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Guggenheim increased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $123.87.

Duke Energy 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.