Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Shares Sold by Bank & Trust Co

Bank & Trust Co decreased its holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 1.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 23,248 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 426 shares during the quarter. Duke Energy accounts for about 2.1% of Bank & Trust Co’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Bank & Trust Co’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $2,505,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of DUK. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the third quarter valued at $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Sachetta LLC lifted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 41.9% in the 2nd quarter. Sachetta LLC now owns 325 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Reston Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the third quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 100.0% during the third quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 334 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Barclays increased their price target on Duke Energy from $102.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $120.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Mizuho raised shares of Duke Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $116.00 to $121.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Finally, Scotiabank lifted 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. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $122.23.

Duke Energy Price Performance

DUK traded up $0.61 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $106.98. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 910,500 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,582,012. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $111.54 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $111.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $82.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.49. Duke Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $90.09 and a 12 month high of $121.25.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.73 by ($0.11). Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.34% and a net margin of 14.31%. The company had revenue of $8.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.06 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.94 earnings per share. Duke Energy’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.