Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Makes New $78.06 Million Investment in Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 855,498 shares of the coffee company’s stock, valued at approximately $78,064,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned approximately 0.08% of Starbucks at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Starbucks by 1,076.5% in the 4th quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 36,612 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $3,341,000 after acquiring an additional 33,500 shares during the period. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. lifted its position in Starbucks by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 5,767 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $526,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares during the period. Lakeshore Capital Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Starbucks during the 4th quarter valued at about $561,000. Hall Capital Management Co. Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at about $380,000. Finally, Putney Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks in the fourth quarter worth about $67,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $106.00 to $98.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Robert W. Baird reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $85.00 price objective (down previously from $114.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Starbucks from $88.00 to $84.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of Starbucks from $115.00 to $100.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $98.72.

Starbucks Stock Performance

Starbucks stock opened at $84.40 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $95.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.23, a P/E/G ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 0.99. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $86.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $95.95. Starbucks Co. has a 1 year low of $71.55 and a 1 year high of $117.46.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The coffee company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.51 by ($0.10). The company had revenue of $8.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.90 billion. Starbucks had a net margin of 9.73% and a negative return on equity of 44.97%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.68 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Starbucks Co. will post 2.99 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.61 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.89%. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 88.41%.

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.