IFM Investors Pty Ltd Sells 26,199 Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

IFM Investors Pty Ltd decreased its position in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 10.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 231,209 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 26,199 shares during the period. IFM Investors Pty Ltd’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $26,658,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 69.6% in the second quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 290 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the period. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the first quarter valued at about $30,000. Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Cedar Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 101.2% in the first quarter. Cedar Wealth Management LLC now owns 336 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 169 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Performance

Duke Energy stock traded down $1.20 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $119.37. 671,610 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,037,418. The stock has a market capitalization of $92.13 billion, a PE ratio of 30.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.53. Duke Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $86.61 and a 12-month high of $121.25. The business’s 50-day moving average is $115.40 and its 200-day moving average is $107.25.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $7.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.84 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.71% and a net margin of 14.29%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.91 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Friday, November 15th will be paid a $1.045 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 15th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.50%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 105.03%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Louis E. Renjel sold 540 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.64, for a total value of $61,365.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 19,884 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,259,617.76. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on DUK. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Duke Energy from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, August 29th. KeyCorp cut Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Duke Energy from $111.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Duke Energy from $120.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven 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 an average price target of $121.85.

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.