Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) Shares Sold by MSA Advisors LLC

MSA Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 1.8% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 348,257 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 6,550 shares during the period. Starbucks accounts for approximately 7.9% of MSA Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. MSA Advisors LLC’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $31,778,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Graney & King LLC acquired a new position in Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Marshall Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Starbucks in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on SBUX. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Starbucks from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Starbucks from $98.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Wedbush lifted their price target on shares of Starbucks from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Argus upgraded Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $115.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 18th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $106.12.

Starbucks Stock Up 2.2 %

Shares of SBUX stock opened at $97.97 on Thursday. Starbucks Co. has a fifty-two week low of $71.55 and a fifty-two week high of $117.46. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $105.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $99.47. The stock has a market cap of $111.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 0.99.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.69 earnings per share 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 previous year, the business posted $0.90 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Starbucks Co. will post 2.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks 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.