730 Shares in Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) Purchased by Kentucky Trust Co

Kentucky Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 730 shares of the coffee company’s stock, valued at approximately $67,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Aspire Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in Starbucks by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Aspire Capital Advisors LLC now owns 23,210 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $2,118,000 after buying an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co grew its position in Starbucks by 3.4% during the third quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 3,199 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $312,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Optas LLC grew its position in Starbucks by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Optas LLC now owns 16,711 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $1,525,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Boomfish Wealth Group LLC grew its position in Starbucks by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Boomfish Wealth Group LLC now owns 15,335 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $1,399,000 after buying an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Foster Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Foster Group Inc. now owns 2,885 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $263,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Starbucks Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:SBUX opened at $113.04 on Thursday. Starbucks Co. has a 52-week low of $71.55 and a 52-week high of $113.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $128.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.46, a P/E/G ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 1.00. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $97.51 and a 200-day moving average price of $95.37.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 last year, the company posted $0.90 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Starbucks Co. will post 3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.16%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio is currently 78.71%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SBUX has been the subject of a number of research reports. Barclays upped their price objective on Starbucks from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. UBS Group upped their price objective on Starbucks from $98.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Starbucks from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. BTIG Research boosted their target price on Starbucks from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Three equities research 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 Transactions at Starbucks

In other news, CFO Rachel Ruggeri sold 1,452 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.07, for a total value 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 represents a 2.16 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Starbucks 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.