Jefferies Financial Group Cuts Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Price Target to $126.00

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) had its price target decreased by equities research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $138.00 to $126.00 in a report released on Monday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has a “hold” rating on the utilities provider’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 10.03% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research firms have also commented on DUK. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $131.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Wells Fargo & Company raised Duke Energy to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Duke Energy from $138.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Finally, BTIG Research upgraded Duke Energy to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $137.69.

Duke Energy Stock Down 1.7%

NYSE DUK traded down $2.01 on Monday, reaching $114.51. The company had a trading volume of 492,168 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,381,538. The company has a quick ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. The company’s fifty day moving average is $124.17 and its 200 day moving average is $121.27. Duke Energy has a 52-week low of $105.20 and a 52-week high of $130.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $89.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.49.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.75 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $8.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.51 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 15.76% and a return on equity of 9.98%. The business’s revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.62 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Duke Energy will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Robert Alexander Glenn sold 8,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.80, for a total value of $1,015,160.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 11,367 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,407,234.60. The trade was a 41.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duke Energy

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 11.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,754 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $728,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the period. Koss Olinger Consulting LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the first quarter worth $294,000. Covestor Ltd grew its position in shares of Duke Energy by 22.5% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 534 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. First American Trust FSB bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $215,000. Finally, Independent Advisor Alliance lifted its holdings in Duke Energy by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 135,059 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $16,473,000 after purchasing an additional 1,191 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

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.