Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) Given New $127.00 Price Target at UBS Group

by · The Markets Daily

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK – Get Free Report) had its target price upped by equities researchers at UBS Group from $123.00 to $127.00 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the utilities provider’s stock. UBS Group’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 6.47% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on DUK. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $114.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Guggenheim lifted their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $132.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Duke Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $123.87.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Duke Energy

Duke Energy Price Performance

DUK stock traded down $0.88 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $119.28. 1,314,350 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,978,860. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $113.89 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $113.65. The company has a market cap of $92.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.87, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. Duke Energy has a 1-year low of $92.75 and a 1-year high of $121.47.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share 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%. On average, analysts anticipate that Duke Energy will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Duke Energy

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DUK. Bailard Inc. increased its position in Duke Energy by 10.9% during the 4th quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 31,921 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,439,000 after buying an additional 3,139 shares during the period. KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC now owns 52,097 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $5,613,000 after buying an additional 2,705 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 25.7% in the 4th quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 35,755 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $3,852,000 after acquiring an additional 7,319 shares during the last quarter. First Business Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth $384,000. Finally, Pines Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $1,032,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

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