Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Analysts

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Hold" by the twenty-nine research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eleven have assigned a hold recommendation and fifteen have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $98.58.

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen cut Starbucks from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Robert W. Baird reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $85.00 target price (down from $114.00) on shares of Starbucks in a report on Monday, April 7th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Starbucks from $125.00 to $100.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. CICC Research started coverage on Starbucks in a report on Monday, June 30th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $100.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on Starbucks from $105.00 to $90.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 28th.

Starbucks Price Performance

NASDAQ:SBUX traded up $0.61 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $93.80. 5,172,781 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,676,357. Starbucks has a twelve month low of $72.73 and a twelve month high of $117.46. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $90.22 and a 200 day moving average of $94.58. The stock has a market cap of $106.59 billion, a PE ratio of 33.99, a PEG ratio of 4.74 and a beta of 1.02.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The coffee company reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.51 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $8.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.90 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 42.14% and a net margin of 8.61%. The company's revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.68 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Starbucks will post 2.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a $0.61 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.60%. Starbucks's dividend payout ratio is currently 88.41%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Starbucks

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Starbucks by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 112,059,570 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $10,991,923,000 after buying an additional 953,361 shares during the period. Capital World Investors increased its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 20.1% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 54,924,230 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $5,011,796,000 after acquiring an additional 9,174,682 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 27.0% during the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 25,128,649 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $2,292,989,000 after acquiring an additional 5,348,790 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 24,826,001 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $2,259,516,000 after purchasing an additional 548,245 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 22.3% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 19,414,472 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $1,904,366,000 after purchasing an additional 3,545,655 shares in the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.