Wellspring Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX – Free Report) by 259.0% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 8,784 shares of the coffee company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,337 shares during the quarter. Wellspring Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $741,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Aerodigm Wealth LLC increased its position in Starbucks by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Aerodigm Wealth LLC now owns 4,245 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $357,000 after buying an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. River Street Advisors LLC increased its position in Starbucks by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. River Street Advisors LLC now owns 13,516 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $1,138,000 after buying an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV increased its position in Starbucks by 38.2% during the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 409 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Integrity Alliance LLC. increased its position in Starbucks by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Integrity Alliance LLC. now owns 3,907 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $329,000 after buying an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Opus Capital Group LLC increased its position in Starbucks by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Opus Capital Group LLC now owns 3,187 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $268,000 after buying an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 72.29% of the company’s stock.
Insider Activity at Starbucks
In related news, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,000 shares of Starbucks stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total transaction of $210,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 57,653 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,053,565. This trade represents a 3.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale 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, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of Starbucks stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.81, for a total value of $233,621.49. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 81,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,548,198.79. The trade was a 2.66% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 8,099 shares of company stock worth $804,907. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Starbucks Trading Up 1.4%
Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $9.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.17 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 29.24% and a net margin of 3.89%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.41 earnings per share. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Starbucks Dividend Announcement
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were given a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 187.88%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several brokerages recently issued reports on SBUX. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $97.00 target price (up from $95.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. UBS Group lowered Starbucks from a “neutral” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Starbucks from a “neutral” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $107.48.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Starbucks
Starbucks News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Reports that Starbucks is considering a partial sale or IPO of its Japan unit are boosting the stock, as the market sees potential for value creation and a more capital-efficient global structure. Reuters: Starbucks mulls options for Japan business, including stake sale
- Positive Sentiment: Management commentary on international expansion and room for more U.S. stores is reinforcing the long-term growth story, supporting investor confidence in Starbucks’ turnaround efforts. Starbucks CEO Says 22,000 Overseas Stores Could Double
- Positive Sentiment: Recent product and traffic trends have also been constructive, with Starbucks’ expanding Refreshers lineup seen as a way to drive more afternoon visits and incremental sales. Starbucks’ latest drink launch is a bet on the future of fast food beverages
- Neutral Sentiment: A pre-arranged insider sale by CEO Brady Brewer was disclosed, but it was made under a 10b5-1 plan and does not appear to signal a change in fundamentals. SEC filing
- Negative Sentiment: One commentary piece argued the market may be pricing in Starbucks’ recovery too quickly, suggesting some skepticism about how fast the turnaround can materialize. Seeking Alpha: Starbucks: The Market Is Pricing In Success Too Soon
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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