Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) Shares Sold by Godshalk Welsh Capital Management Inc.

Godshalk Welsh Capital Management Inc. reduced its position in shares of Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 2.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,585 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 300 shares during the period. Godshalk Welsh Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $1,148,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in shares of Starbucks by 100.6% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,149,937 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $1,476,967,000 after buying an additional 7,598,146 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC boosted its stake in Starbucks by 55.0% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 19,779,859 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $1,928,339,000 after acquiring an additional 7,015,375 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth $284,283,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in shares of Starbucks by 1,491.4% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 2,808,571 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $256,282,000 after purchasing an additional 2,632,087 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its stake in shares of Starbucks by 1,078.5% in the 3rd quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 2,545,419 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $248,153,000 after purchasing an additional 2,329,431 shares in the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Starbucks Stock Up 2.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ SBUX opened at $97.97 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $111.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.60, a P/E/G ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 0.99. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $105.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $99.47. Starbucks Co. has a fifty-two week low of $71.55 and a fifty-two week high of $117.46.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on SBUX. Argus upgraded Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $115.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Starbucks from $98.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Wedbush raised their price objective on Starbucks from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price 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. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on shares of Starbucks from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Starbucks presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $106.12.

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.