Stephens Inc. AR Sells 3,013 Shares of Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Stephens Inc. AR lessened its stake in shares of Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 4.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 65,633 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 3,013 shares during the quarter. Stephens Inc. AR’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $5,989,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of SBUX. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. DT Investment Partners LLC raised its position in Starbucks by 39.4% in the 3rd quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 428 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Starbucks in the third quarter worth $49,000. Friedenthal Financial bought a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the third quarter worth $50,000. Finally, Hager Investment Management Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at $56,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Starbucks Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of SBUX stock opened at $111.45 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $97.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $94.84. Starbucks Co. has a 1 year low of $71.55 and a 1 year high of $112.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $126.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.95, a PEG ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 1.00.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by $0.01. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 44.97% and a net margin of 9.73%. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.90 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Starbucks Co. will post 3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be issued a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. Starbucks’s payout ratio is presently 78.71%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a report on Monday, November 11th. BTIG Research raised their price target on shares of Starbucks from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Starbucks from $110.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Starbucks from $98.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price target on Starbucks from $118.00 to $117.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $105.33.

Insider Activity at Starbucks

In other Starbucks news, CFO Rachel Ruggeri sold 1,491 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were 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 owns 80,124 shares in the company, valued at $7,975,542.96. This trade represents a 1.83 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.