Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) Shares Bought by United Asset Strategies Inc.

United Asset Strategies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 11.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 136,852 shares of the coffee company’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,092 shares during the quarter. Starbucks comprises 1.5% of United Asset Strategies Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 18th largest holding. United Asset Strategies Inc.’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $13,139,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of SBUX. Willow Creek Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Starbucks by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. Willow Creek Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,305 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $302,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Investment Advisory Services Inc. TX ADV increased its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Investment Advisory Services Inc. TX ADV now owns 14,194 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $1,408,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. raised its position in Starbucks by 2.4% in the third quarter. Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. now owns 4,200 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $383,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Advisory Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Starbucks by 4.6% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 2,260 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $206,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Herold Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Starbucks by 4.3% in the third quarter. Herold Advisors Inc. now owns 2,422 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $221,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. 72.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of Starbucks from $125.00 to $120.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. Barclays cut their target price on Starbucks from $116.00 to $112.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating and set a $100.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, April 11th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Starbucks from $120.00 to $115.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Finally, HSBC started coverage on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, December 20th. They set a “hold” rating and a $107.00 price target on the stock. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $107.43.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Starbucks news, insider Michael Aaron Conway sold 3,250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.03, for a total transaction of $305,597.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 84,153 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,912,906.59. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In the last quarter, insiders sold 4,000 shares of company stock worth $375,665. Corporate insiders own 1.98% of the company’s stock.

Starbucks Trading Up 0.5 %

SBUX stock traded up $0.39 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $85.56. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,632,302 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,303,291. The company has a market cap of $96.87 billion, a PE ratio of 22.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.98. Starbucks Co. has a 12 month low of $84.29 and a 12 month high of $115.48. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $91.71 and its 200-day moving average is $94.57.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The coffee company reported $0.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.92 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $9.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.60 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 50.76% and a net margin of 11.70%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.75 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Starbucks Co. will post 4.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 31st. Investors of record on Friday, May 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 16th. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.96%.

Starbucks Company Profile

Starbucks Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a roaster, marketer, and retailer of coffee worldwide. The company operates through three segments: North America, International, and Channel Development. Its stores offer coffee and tea beverages, roasted whole beans and ground coffees, single serve products, and ready-to-drink beverages; and various food products, such as pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and lunch items.