Wealthfront Advisers LLC Invests $10 Million in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Posted by George Bondi on Aug 23rd, 2026

Wealthfront Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor bought 97,828 shares of the coffee company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,997,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Starbucks in the second quarter valued at $25,000. Black Cypress Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Phillip James Consulting Co. acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded Starbucks from an “overweight” rating to an “underweight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus set a $117.00 price target on Starbucks and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $115.00 price target on shares of Starbucks in a report on Friday, July 31st. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $124.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Starbucks has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $110.30.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on SBUX

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.

Starbucks Stock Up 3.0%

SBUX stock opened at $107.08 on Friday. Starbucks Corporation has a 52-week low of $77.99 and a 52-week high of $110.51. The firm has a market cap of $122.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 61.54, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.97. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $104.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $100.36.

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. The firm had revenue of $9.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.17 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 34.10% and a net margin of 5.17%.Starbucks’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.50 EPS. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.550-2.650 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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 of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 142.53%.

Insider Activity at Starbucks

In other news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.99, for a total transaction of $236,251.71. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 6,687 shares of company stock valued at $681,663 in the last three months. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Starbucks Profile

(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.