Walker Asset Management LLC Boosts Holdings in Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Walker Asset Management LLC increased its position in Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 0.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 22,779 shares of the coffee company’s stock after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the quarter. Starbucks accounts for 1.3% of Walker Asset Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest position. Walker Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $2,079,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Starbucks by 8.5% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,649,493 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $206,279,000 after buying an additional 207,156 shares during the last quarter. Waterloo Capital L.P. raised its holdings in Starbucks by 13.7% in the second quarter. Waterloo Capital L.P. now owns 2,704 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $210,000 after acquiring an additional 326 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Starbucks by 4.1% during the 2nd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 1,000,848 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $77,916,000 after acquiring an additional 38,961 shares during the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in Starbucks by 3.9% during the 2nd quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 154,017 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $11,990,000 after acquiring an additional 5,715 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its position in shares of Starbucks by 9.2% in the 2nd quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 115,435 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $8,987,000 after purchasing an additional 9,753 shares during the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Starbucks news, CFO Rachel Ruggeri sold 1,452 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owns 65,648 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,503,747.36. This represents a 2.16 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.98% of the company’s stock.

Starbucks Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of Starbucks stock opened at $95.13 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $95.89 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $91.38. The stock has a market cap of $107.86 billion, a PE ratio of 28.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.99. Starbucks Co. has a 52 week low of $71.55 and a 52 week high of $103.32.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The coffee company reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.80. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 46.39% and a net margin of 10.40%. The firm had revenue of $9.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.60 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.06 EPS. Starbucks’s revenue was down 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Starbucks Co. will post 3.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 28th. Investors 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 yield of 2.56%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Starbucks’s payout ratio is 73.72%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on SBUX shares. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Starbucks from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $110.00 to $108.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Citigroup lifted their target price on Starbucks from $96.00 to $99.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. BTIG Research upped their target price on Starbucks from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Starbucks from $98.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $103.92.

About Starbucks

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.