Gradient Capital Advisors LLC Reduces Stock Position in Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Gradient Capital Advisors LLC lessened its stake in Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 2.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,389 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 99 shares during the quarter. Gradient Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $309,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. ORG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Starbucks during the third quarter worth about $195,000. Grove Bank & Trust increased its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 21.3% during the 3rd quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 1,401 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $137,000 after buying an additional 246 shares during the last quarter. Cornell Pochily Investment Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Starbucks by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Cornell Pochily Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 10,094 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $984,000 after buying an additional 204 shares during the period. Hayek Kallen Investment Management lifted its holdings in Starbucks by 3.5% in the third quarter. Hayek Kallen Investment Management now owns 13,001 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $1,267,000 after acquiring an additional 441 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC grew its position in Starbucks by 10.0% in the third quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 3,220 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $314,000 after acquiring an additional 294 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Bank of America reduced their target price on Starbucks from $118.00 to $117.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. BTIG Research boosted their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Starbucks from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Starbucks from $98.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $115.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $105.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Rachel Ruggeri sold 1,491 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.54, for a total value of $148,414.14. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 80,124 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,975,542.96. The trade was a 1.83 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Starbucks Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ:SBUX opened at $111.03 on Wednesday. Starbucks Co. has a 52 week low of $71.55 and a 52 week high of $112.62. The company’s 50 day moving average is $97.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $95.10. The company has a market cap of $126.12 billion, a PE ratio of 35.82, a P/E/G ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 1.00.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.69 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.90 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Starbucks Co. will post 3 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a dividend of $0.61 per share. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.20%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 78.71%.

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.