Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC Grows Stake in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC grew its stake in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 5.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,179 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 285 shares during the period. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $558,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the third quarter worth $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. CGC Financial Services LLC grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 366.7% during the 4th quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 308 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares during the last quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC raised its position in Duke Energy by 332.9% in the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 316 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares during the period. Finally, Reston Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Trading Down 2.0 %

Shares of NYSE:DUK opened at $111.69 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. The company has a market capitalization of $86.27 billion, a PE ratio of 20.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.50. Duke Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $90.09 and a 12-month high of $121.25. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $109.85 and its 200-day simple moving average is $112.98.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.05. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.31% and a return on equity of 9.34%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a dividend of $1.045 per share. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.74%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is presently 73.20%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Scotiabank increased their price target on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, KeyCorp cut shares of Duke Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.08.

About Duke Energy

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.