Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) Shares Sold by Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc.

Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. reduced its position in shares of Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 1.3% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 136,722 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 1,802 shares during the quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc.’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $12,476,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in SBUX. Aspire Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Starbucks by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Aspire Capital Advisors LLC now owns 23,210 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $2,118,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co boosted its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 3.4% in the third quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 3,199 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $312,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Optas LLC raised its position in Starbucks by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Optas LLC now owns 16,711 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $1,525,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Boomfish Wealth Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Starbucks by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Boomfish Wealth Group LLC now owns 15,335 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $1,399,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Foster Group Inc. boosted its stake in Starbucks by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Foster Group Inc. now owns 2,885 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $263,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Starbucks Trading Up 0.4 %

NASDAQ SBUX opened at $112.20 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $97.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $94.57. The stock has a market cap of $127.45 billion, a PE ratio of 36.19, a P/E/G ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 1.00. Starbucks Co. has a twelve month low of $71.55 and a twelve month high of $112.62.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.69 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.01. Starbucks had a net margin of 9.73% and a negative return on equity of 44.97%. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.90 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Starbucks Co. will post 3 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a $0.61 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.17%. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio is currently 78.71%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wedbush raised their target price on shares of Starbucks from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Starbucks from $98.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Starbucks from $110.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Starbucks from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $115.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $105.33.

Insider Transactions at Starbucks

In related news, CFO Rachel Ruggeri sold 1,452 shares of Starbucks stock in a transaction on Friday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.07, for a total value of $143,849.64. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 65,648 shares in the company, valued at $6,503,747.36. This trade represents a 2.16 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

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.