Northstar Group Inc. Sells 913 Shares of Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Northstar Group Inc. reduced its position in Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 1.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 65,776 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 913 shares during the period. Starbucks accounts for about 1.0% of Northstar Group Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Northstar Group Inc.’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $6,002,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. DT Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Starbucks by 39.4% during the 3rd quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 428 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 3rd quarter valued at about $49,000. Friedenthal Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the third quarter worth about $50,000. Finally, Hager Investment Management Services LLC acquired a new stake in Starbucks during the fourth quarter worth about $56,000. Institutional investors own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Starbucks Price Performance

Shares of SBUX stock opened at $112.20 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $96.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $94.32. Starbucks Co. has a 12 month low of $71.55 and a 12 month high of $112.62. The company has a market capitalization of $127.45 billion, a PE ratio of 36.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 1.00.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.69 earnings per share 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 business earned $0.90 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Starbucks Co. will post 3 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.17%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 78.71%.

Insider Transactions at Starbucks

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 transaction of $148,414.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 80,124 shares in the company, valued at $7,975,542.96. This trade represents a 1.83 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on SBUX shares. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $115.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Starbucks from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $110.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Starbucks from $110.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic reaffirmed a “sell” rating and issued a $77.00 price target (down previously from $84.00) on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $105.33.

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.