Starbucks Corporation $SBUX Stock: Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Increases Stake

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR raised its stake in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 12.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 54,842 shares of the coffee company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,877 shares during the period. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $5,153,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of SBUX. Nykredit A S bought a new stake in Starbucks in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,524,000. Robinhood Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $10,187,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $61,404,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in shares of Starbucks during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,581,287,000. Finally, Saudi Central Bank boosted its position in shares of Starbucks by 90.0% during the 2nd quarter. Saudi Central Bank now owns 79,751 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $8,150,000 after acquiring an additional 37,779 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Starbucks Trading Up 0.2%

Starbucks stock opened at $103.20 on Thursday. Starbucks Corporation has a 12-month low of $77.99 and a 12-month high of $110.51. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $99.25 and a 200-day moving average price of $99.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $117.65 billion, a PE ratio of 59.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.98.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The coffee company reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.19. Starbucks had a net margin of 5.17% and a negative return on equity of 34.10%. The company had revenue of $9.32 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.50 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 13th will be paid a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 13th. This is an increase from Starbucks’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.62. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Starbucks’s payout ratio is 144.83%.

Key Headlines Impacting Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Investors expect Starbucks’ “Back to Starbucks” plan—focused on coffee quality, service and the customer experience—to support stronger U.S. comparable-store sales. Cost savings and improved operating execution could also provide an earnings boost. Starbucks to Post Q4 Earnings: What’s in the Cards for the Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s prior quarter exceeded analyst expectations for both revenue and earnings, while full-year guidance was reportedly ahead of consensus. That track record is helping sustain bullish sentiment ahead of the new report. Is Starbucks Fully Valued on Strong Guidance and Recent Results?
• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks maintained its annual dividend-raise streak, supporting the investment case for income-oriented shareholders. The payout is expected to be a key focus because investors are assessing whether free cash flow adequately covers the dividend. Did Starbucks Just Give Investors Nearly $2.9 Billion Reasons to Buy Its Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Options markets imply a potentially sizable move of approximately 6.33% following earnings, highlighting elevated volatility around the report. Starbucks Q4 Earnings Are on October 29
• Negative Sentiment: At roughly 59 times earnings, Starbucks appears richly valued relative to its recent revenue performance. Revenue in the prior quarter declined 1.4% year over year, so any weakness in same-store sales, gross margin or forward guidance could pressure the shares. Starbucks Q3 Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Starbucks is closing additional company-operated and airport locations, with associated job losses. While closures may improve the store portfolio and profitability over time, they also signal continuing operational challenges. Starbucks Shuts More Coffeehouses

Insider Transactions at Starbucks

In other Starbucks news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 588 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total transaction of $58,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 70,920 shares in the company, valued at $7,092,000. The trade was a 0.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 6,687 shares of company stock valued at $685,935 over the last ninety days. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on SBUX. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Friday, October 9th. Argus boosted their price target on shares of Starbucks from $112.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $115.00 price target (up from $110.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Melius Research set a $110.00 price target on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $125.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Twenty-four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $110.14.

About Starbucks

Starbucks Corporation is a global specialty coffee company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1971, the company operates and licenses coffeehouses under the Starbucks brand, serving brewed coffee, espresso beverages, teas, cold drinks, food, and other ready-to-consume products.

In addition to its company-operated and licensed stores, Starbucks sells packaged coffee, tea, and single-serve products through grocery retailers, convenience stores, and other distribution channels.