Giverny Capital Inc. Buys 31,368 Shares of Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Giverny Capital Inc. grew its stake in Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 4.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 749,372 shares of the coffee company’s stock after acquiring an additional 31,368 shares during the period. Starbucks accounts for 2.5% of Giverny Capital Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Giverny Capital Inc. owned about 0.07% of Starbucks worth $68,380,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Pioneer Trust Bank N A OR grew its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Pioneer Trust Bank N A OR now owns 11,312 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $1,032,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Wintrust Investments LLC lifted its position in Starbucks by 7.1% in the fourth quarter. Wintrust Investments LLC now owns 1,411 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $128,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the period. Kuhn & Co Investment Counsel boosted its stake in Starbucks by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Kuhn & Co Investment Counsel now owns 4,240 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $387,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC increased its holdings in Starbucks by 8.6% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC now owns 1,265 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $115,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Taurus Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Starbucks by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Taurus Asset Management LLC now owns 21,895 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $1,998,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Starbucks Price Performance

Shares of Starbucks stock opened at $85.43 on Friday. Starbucks Co. has a 1 year low of $71.55 and a 1 year high of $117.46. The company has a market capitalization of $97.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 1.00. The business has a 50-day moving average of $102.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $98.78.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.69 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.90 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Starbucks Co. will post 2.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio is 78.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Starbucks from an “underperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $76.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays increased their target price on Starbucks from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Robert W. Baird reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $85.00 price target (down from $114.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $115.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Starbucks from $98.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $104.68.

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.