Kessler Investment Group LLC Purchases 910 Shares of Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Kessler Investment Group LLC raised its position in shares of Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 18.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,733 shares of the coffee company’s stock after purchasing an additional 910 shares during the period. Kessler Investment Group LLC’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $523,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Starbucks during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. DT Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Starbucks by 39.4% during the third quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 428 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the third quarter worth $49,000. Finally, Friedenthal Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the third quarter worth $50,000. 72.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Starbucks Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ:SBUX opened at $112.55 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $98.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $95.61. Starbucks Co. has a 12-month low of $71.55 and a 12-month high of $113.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $127.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 1.00.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.90 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Starbucks Co. will post 3 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 28th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a $0.61 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.17%. Starbucks’s payout ratio is presently 78.71%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Starbucks from $110.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $110.00 target price on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Barclays increased their price objective on Starbucks from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Starbucks from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic reiterated a “sell” rating and issued a $77.00 price objective (down previously from $84.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $105.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Rachel Ruggeri sold 1,491 shares of the firm’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 sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 80,124 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,975,542.96. This trade represents a 1.83 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.