Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. Purchases 2,458 Shares of Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 94.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,055 shares of the coffee company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,458 shares during the quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc.’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $461,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC bought a new position in shares of Starbucks during the fourth quarter worth $62,000. Arizona State Retirement System boosted its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 327,459 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $29,881,000 after purchasing an additional 2,722 shares during the last quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks during the fourth quarter valued at about $265,000. Wernau Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the fourth quarter worth about $258,000. Finally, Investment Management Corp of Ontario lifted its position in shares of Starbucks by 48.6% in the third quarter. Investment Management Corp of Ontario now owns 37,584 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $3,664,000 after buying an additional 12,300 shares in the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Argus upgraded Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $115.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 18th. Wedbush boosted their price target on shares of Starbucks from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $115.00 target price on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Three 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 assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $106.12.

Starbucks Price Performance

SBUX stock opened at $98.85 on Friday. Starbucks Co. has a 1-year low of $71.55 and a 1-year high of $117.46. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $105.69 and a 200 day moving average price of $99.46. The company has a market capitalization of $112.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.89, a PEG ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 0.99.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.69 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 period last year, the company posted $0.90 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Starbucks Co. will post 2.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.