Farmers National Bank Sells 114 Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Farmers National Bank decreased its holdings in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 30,238 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 114 shares during the period. Farmers National Bank’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $3,031,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its stake in Duke Energy by 69.6% during the second quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 290 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the second quarter worth $30,000. Riverview Trust Co bought a new stake in Duke Energy in the first quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Sachetta LLC raised its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Stock Up 0.8 %

DUK opened at $116.22 on Wednesday. Duke Energy Co. has a fifty-two week low of $83.06 and a fifty-two week high of $118.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $89.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.20, a PEG ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 0.47. The company’s 50-day moving average is $113.83 and its 200 day moving average is $105.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.53.

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

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Stockholders 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 is a positive change from Duke Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.03. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.60%. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 105.03%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Louis E. Renjel sold 540 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.64, for a total transaction of $61,365.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 19,884 shares in the company, valued at $2,259,617.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on DUK shares. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a research note on Thursday, August 29th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Duke Energy from $120.00 to $126.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Duke Energy from $111.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $121.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $114.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $118.21.

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.