Vest Financial LLC Has $4.04 Million Holdings in Duke Energy Corporation $DUK

Vest Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) by 23.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 32,629 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,279 shares during the quarter. Vest Financial LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $4,038,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 53.7% during the 2nd quarter. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC now owns 249 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Access Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Duke Energy by 2,284.6% in the second quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 310 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $39,000. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently commented on DUK. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $135.00 to $127.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Morgan Stanley restated an “underperform” rating and issued a $130.00 price target on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $126.00 to $115.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Monday, October 6th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $143.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised Duke Energy to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at Duke Energy

In related news, EVP Robert Alexander Glenn sold 8,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.80, for a total transaction of $1,015,160.00. Following the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Duke Energy Trading Down 1.4%

DUK opened at $117.66 on Friday. Duke Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $108.68 and a fifty-two week high of $130.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $91.50 billion, a PE ratio of 18.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The company’s 50-day moving average is $118.58 and its 200 day moving average is $121.38.

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

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $1.065 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 66.98%.

Duke Energy Company Profile

Duke Energy Corporation is a U.S.-based electric power holding company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company’s core business is the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Duke Energy operates a mix of regulated electric utilities and non-regulated energy businesses, providing essential energy infrastructure and services across multiple states.

Its operating activities include owning and operating generation assets across a portfolio that encompasses nuclear, natural gas, coal, hydroelectric and an expanding array of renewable resources, as well as battery storage and grid modernization projects.