1,804 Shares in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) Acquired by Valley Brook Capital Group Inc.

Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 1,804 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $208,000.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norden Group LLC boosted its holdings in Duke Energy by 141.0% during the 1st quarter. Norden Group LLC now owns 6,443 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $623,000 after acquiring an additional 3,770 shares during the period. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $80,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the 1st quarter worth $592,000. Duality Advisers LP increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 57.8% in the first quarter. Duality Advisers LP now owns 27,071 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,618,000 after acquiring an additional 9,917 shares during the period. Finally, Empirical Finance LLC raised its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 3.5% during the first quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 27,688 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,678,000 after acquiring an additional 937 shares during the last quarter. 65.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Duke Energy Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE DUK traded down $1.64 during trading on Thursday, reaching $111.99. The company had a trading volume of 1,322,983 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,039,892. The business’s 50-day moving average is $115.89 and its 200 day moving average is $108.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56. The stock has a market cap of $86.48 billion, a PE ratio of 20.92, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.47. Duke Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $86.61 and a 12-month high of $121.25.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its 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 net margin of 14.29% and a return on equity of 9.71%. The business had revenue of $7.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.91 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be issued a $1.045 dividend. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.73%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 15th. Duke Energy’s payout ratio is 76.98%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

DUK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Duke Energy from $120.00 to $126.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Thursday, August 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $102.00 to $113.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $138.00 target price for the company. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $121.85.

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.