Evermay Wealth Management LLC Boosts Position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Evermay Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 9.6% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 11,919 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,047 shares during the period. Evermay Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $1,284,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC increased 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. Reston Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the third quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Duke Energy by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 334 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE DUK opened at $112.14 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. Duke Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $90.09 and a 12-month high of $121.25. The company has a market cap of $86.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.49. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $110.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $112.49.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.73 by ($0.11). Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.31% and a return on equity of 9.34%. The firm had revenue of $8.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.06 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.94 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The company 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 $1.045 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.73%. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is currently 76.84%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on DUK. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Mizuho upgraded Duke Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $116.00 to $121.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Scotiabank lifted their price target on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, KeyCorp lowered shares of Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.23.

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.