Inkwell Capital LLC Takes $3.46 Million Position in Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Inkwell Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 37,872 shares of the coffee company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,456,000. Starbucks comprises 3.7% of Inkwell Capital LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 12th biggest position.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Graney & King LLC acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Marshall Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 72.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $119.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Starbucks from $98.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Starbucks from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Starbucks from $110.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, eighteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $106.12.

Starbucks Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of SBUX stock opened at $97.73 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $105.75 and a 200-day moving average of $99.54. Starbucks Co. has a 12-month low of $71.55 and a 12-month high of $117.46. The firm has a market cap of $111.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.53, a PEG ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 0.99.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.69 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 last year, the company posted $0.90 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Starbucks Co. will post 2.99 EPS for the current year.

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.