Starbucks Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Posted by Francis Steltz on May 14th, 2026

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX – Get Free Report) saw unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Traders purchased 171,918 call options on the company. This is an increase of 404% compared to the average daily volume of 34,138 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on SBUX shares. Dbs Bank raised shares of Starbucks from a “strong sell” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Bank of America set a $114.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Thursday. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $86.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two 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 $107.48.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Starbucks

Starbucks Stock Performance

Starbucks stock traded up $0.45 during trading on Thursday, reaching $106.40. The company had a trading volume of 9,937,376 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,701,975. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $97.72 and its 200 day simple moving average is $92.12. Starbucks has a 1-year low of $77.99 and a 1-year high of $108.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $121.26 billion, a PE ratio of 80.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.01.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.06. Starbucks had a net margin of 3.89% and a negative return on equity of 29.24%. The firm had revenue of $9.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.41 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Starbucks will post 2.41 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 187.88%.

Starbucks News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen upgraded Starbucks to Buy and raised its target, citing margin recovery and sales drivers that could support further upside. TD Cowen Just Upgraded Starbucks to Buy: Margin Recovery, Sales Drivers Power Comeback Story
Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Starbucks’ improving margin recovery, with Q2 FY26 margin expansion and earnings leverage suggesting the turnaround is gaining traction. Starbucks’ Margin Recovery Takes Shape: Can Cost Leverage Build?
Positive Sentiment: Starbucks shares hit a 52-week high as investors bought into the company’s turnaround plan and improving traffic trends. Starbucks Stock (SBUX) Hits 52-Week High as Investors Buy Into Turnaround Plan
Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed heavy buying of call options, which can signal traders are positioning for more upside. Unusual options trading in Starbucks
Neutral Sentiment: Starbucks is also experimenting with ChatGPT to help customers discover drinks, a potential innovation story but not yet a clear earnings driver. Only 39% Of Consumers Trust AI For Purchases, Yet Starbucks Is Using ChatGPT To Pick Your Next Drink
Negative Sentiment: UN human-rights experts urged Starbucks and the U.S. to address union-busting allegations, keeping labor and reputational risk in the spotlight. UN human-rights experts urge Starbucks and US address union-busting claims

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Starbucks news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.81, for a total transaction of $233,621.49. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 81,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,548,198.79. This trade represents a 2.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total transaction of $242,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 59,609 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,789,226.08. This represents a 4.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 11,187 shares of company stock valued at $1,111,085 over the last three months. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Starbucks

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in Starbucks during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Phillip James Consulting Co. acquired a new stake in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Finally, Y.D. More Investments Ltd acquired a new stake in Starbucks during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

About Starbucks

(Get Free Report)

Starbucks Corporation is a global coffeehouse chain and roaster that operates, licenses and franchises coffee shops and related retail businesses. Founded in Seattle, Washington in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker, the company grew from a single store focused on whole-bean coffee and equipment into a broad consumer-facing brand. Howard Schultz, who joined the company later and served in senior leadership roles, is widely credited with transforming Starbucks into a mass-market specialty coffee retailer and expanding its footprint internationally.

Starbucks’ core activities center on the retail sale of hot and cold specialty beverages, whole-bean and packaged coffees, teas and ready-to-drink products, along with complementary food items and merchandise such as mugs and brewing equipment.