Generali Investments Management Co LLC Invests $182,000 in Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Generali Investments Management Co LLC bought a new stake in shares of Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 1,990 shares of the coffee company’s stock, valued at approximately $182,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks during the fourth quarter valued at about $62,000. Arizona State Retirement System raised its holdings in Starbucks by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 327,459 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $29,881,000 after acquiring an additional 2,722 shares in the last quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth approximately $265,000. Wernau Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth approximately $258,000. Finally, Investment Management Corp of Ontario increased its position in shares of Starbucks by 48.6% during the third quarter. Investment Management Corp of Ontario now owns 37,584 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $3,664,000 after purchasing an additional 12,300 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Starbucks Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of SBUX stock opened at $99.19 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $112.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.00, a PEG ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 0.99. Starbucks Co. has a 12 month low of $71.55 and a 12 month high of $117.46. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $105.18 and a 200 day moving average price of $99.30.

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 net margin of 9.73% and a negative return on equity of 44.97%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.90 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Starbucks Co. will post 2.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on SBUX shares. Argus upgraded shares of Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $115.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Starbucks from $110.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Starbucks from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Starbucks from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “outperform” 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 issued a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Starbucks presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $106.12.

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.