Guggenheim Boosts Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Price Target to $135.00

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) had its price objective increased by equities researchers at Guggenheim from $132.00 to $135.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the utilities provider’s stock. Guggenheim’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 17.60% from the company’s current price.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on DUK. Scotiabank boosted their price target on Duke Energy from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $122.00 to $118.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Duke Energy from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $122.57.

Duke Energy Price Performance

Shares of DUK stock opened at $114.79 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The company has a market cap of $89.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.10, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $111.64 and its 200 day moving average is $113.22. Duke Energy has a 1-year low of $92.75 and a 1-year high of $121.25.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last released 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 14.90% and a return on equity of 9.50%. Research analysts predict that Duke Energy will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Duke Energy

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bailard Inc. grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 10.9% in the 4th quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 31,921 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $3,439,000 after buying an additional 3,139 shares during the period. KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC lifted its position in Duke Energy by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC now owns 52,097 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $5,613,000 after buying an additional 2,705 shares during the last quarter. Pines Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,032,000. CCM Investment Advisers LLC boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 24.3% during the 4th quarter. CCM Investment Advisers LLC now owns 83,610 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $9,008,000 after purchasing an additional 16,356 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in Duke Energy by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 296,463 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $31,941,000 after purchasing an additional 9,070 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

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.