Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Invests $3.18 Million in Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 34,859 shares of the coffee company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,181,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wintrust Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of Starbucks by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. Wintrust Investments LLC now owns 1,411 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $128,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the period. Kuhn & Co Investment Counsel lifted its stake in Starbucks by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. Kuhn & Co Investment Counsel now owns 4,240 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $387,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC lifted its stake in Starbucks by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC now owns 1,265 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $115,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Mystic Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in Starbucks by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Mystic Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,665 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $243,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jmac Enterprises LLC increased its position in shares of Starbucks by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Jmac Enterprises LLC now owns 9,995 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $912,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on SBUX shares. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Starbucks from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $115.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Argus upgraded 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. Finally, Wedbush lifted their price target on Starbucks from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $106.12.

Starbucks Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ SBUX opened at $99.19 on Thursday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $105.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $99.30. The company has a market capitalization of $112.67 billion, a PE ratio of 32.00, a price-to-earnings-growth 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.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last posted its earnings results 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 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 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Starbucks Co. will post 2.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.