Knuff & Co LLC acquired a new position in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 8,580 shares of the coffee company’s stock, valued at approximately $877,000.
Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Starbucks by 94.5% during the fourth quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 94,260 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $7,938,000 after purchasing an additional 45,794 shares in the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd lifted its holdings in Starbucks by 20.4% in the 4th quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 518,405 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $43,655,000 after purchasing an additional 87,926 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Starbucks in the 4th quarter valued at $1,232,650,000. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Starbucks by 86.5% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 176,722 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $16,126,000 after purchasing an additional 81,952 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth $842,000. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
SBUX has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Compass Point started coverage on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Scotiabank downgraded shares of Starbucks from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Starbucks from $108.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Starbucks has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $110.30.
Insider Buying and Selling at Starbucks
In other news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.99, for a total value of $236,251.71. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 75,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,963,558.65. This represents a 2.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 6,687 shares of company stock valued at $681,663. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Starbucks Price Performance
Shares of SBUX opened at $107.08 on Monday. Starbucks Corporation has a 52-week low of $77.99 and a 52-week high of $110.51. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $104.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $100.43. The company has a market capitalization of $122.07 billion, a PE ratio of 61.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.97.
Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The coffee company reported $0.85 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $9.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.50 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.550-2.650 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Starbucks Dividend Announcement
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Starbucks’s payout ratio is presently 142.53%.
Key Stories Impacting Starbucks
Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Starbucks is eliminating more than 200 corporate positions as part of a broader restructuring and approximately $2 billion cost-reduction effort. Lower overhead could support profitability if the company maintains service levels and directs more resources toward its stores. The reductions do not involve cafe closures. Starbucks trims corporate ranks as coffeehouse investments deliver
- Positive Sentiment: Recent market commentary highlights Starbucks’ roughly 25% 2026 gain and suggests investors are rewarding its operational reset and investments in the cafe experience. The rally follows the company’s latest quarterly earnings beat, with adjusted EPS of $0.85 versus a $0.66 consensus estimate and revenue above expectations.
- Neutral Sentiment: The restructuring is relocating some corporate operations to a new, approximately $100 million Nashville office. Around 120 Seattle employees reportedly declined the move, while another 104 roles in store design and construction are being eliminated. Management characterizes the actions as part of the restructuring winding down, but the savings and impact on execution remain to be demonstrated. Starbucks cuts another 224 Seattle jobs
- Negative Sentiment: Starbucks continues to face challenges in China, where domestic competitors, shifting consumer preferences and geopolitical tensions are eroding the position of major U.S. brands. China weakness could limit international growth and pressure comparable sales. Why some of America’s biggest brands are losing ground in China
- Negative Sentiment: The stock’s strong performance has also produced a demanding valuation, with the supplied data showing a P/E ratio above 60. Investors may require sustained earnings growth from the turnaround to justify the premium, leaving SBUX vulnerable to disappointment.
About Starbucks
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.
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