Xponance Inc. Sells 592 Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Xponance Inc. lessened its stake in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 0.6% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 104,087 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 592 shares during the period. Xponance Inc.’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $10,433,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 69.6% during the 2nd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 290 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. Riverview Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the first quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Sachetta LLC raised its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 41.9% during the second quarter. Sachetta LLC now owns 325 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Duke Energy Stock Up 0.8 %

DUK stock opened at $117.31 on Tuesday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $112.79 and a 200 day moving average of $104.13. The firm has a market cap of $90.54 billion, a PE ratio of 29.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.47. Duke Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $83.06 and a twelve month high of $118.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.16. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.71% and a net margin of 14.29%. The firm had revenue of $7.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.91 EPS. Duke Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th were given a dividend of $1.045 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 16th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.56%. This is an increase from Duke Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.03. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 105.03%.

Insider Activity at Duke Energy

In other Duke Energy 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 19,884 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,259,617.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Duke Energy from $110.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Duke Energy in a report on Thursday, September 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $138.00 target price for the company. Bank of America raised their price target on Duke Energy from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 29th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price objective on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $108.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $116.36.

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.