Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) has earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-nine analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $103.77.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on SBUX shares. Royal Bank of Canada began coverage on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Friday, November 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $115.00 price target for the company. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Starbucks from $96.00 to $99.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Starbucks from $90.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, September 30th. Wedbush decreased their price objective on Starbucks from $98.00 to $95.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Starbucks from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 26th.

Starbucks Stock Performance

SBUX opened at $97.42 on Friday. Starbucks has a one year low of $71.55 and a one year high of $103.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $110.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.97. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $98.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is $89.44.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The coffee company reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.80. The company had revenue of $9.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.60 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 46.39% and a net margin of 10.40%. The firm’s revenue was down 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.06 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Starbucks will post 3.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.61 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.50%. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 73.72%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Starbucks news, CFO Rachel Ruggeri sold 1,452 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.07, for a total transaction of $143,849.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 65,648 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,503,747.36. This trade represents a 2.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 1.98% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Starbucks

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. New Millennium Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Stephens Consulting LLC boosted its position in Starbucks by 498.2% during the second quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 335 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 279 shares during the last quarter. Hobbs Group Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Starbucks in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, MFA Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Starbucks in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.29% 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.