Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA Sells 125 Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK)

Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA lessened its stake in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK) by 5.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,257 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 125 shares during the quarter. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $219,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. CKW Financial Group bought a new position in Duke Energy during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. FSC Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the first quarter worth $40,000. Finally, Compass Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the fourth quarter worth $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock.

Duke Energy Price Performance

DUK opened at $96.12 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.08, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. Duke Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $83.06 and a 12-month high of $100.39. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $94.13 and a 200-day moving average price of $93.02.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The utilities provider reported $1.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.53 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $7.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.24 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 8.93% and a net margin of 9.78%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.11 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 16th were paid a $1.025 dividend. This represents a $4.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 15th. Duke Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 115.49%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Duke Energy

In other news, EVP Louis E. Renjel sold 3,000 shares of Duke Energy stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.57, for a total value of $277,710.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,213 shares in the company, valued at $1,315,697.41. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on DUK. Evercore ISI upgraded Duke Energy from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $90.00 to $108.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 23rd. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $101.00 to $100.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Bank of America cut shares of Duke Energy from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $105.00 to $96.00 in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $103.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 9th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised Duke Energy from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $101.00 to $113.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 10th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Duke Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $100.00.

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.