Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-three analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have given a hold recommendation, twenty have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $107.4828.

Several research analysts have recently commented on SBUX shares. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and set a $115.00 price target (up from $110.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $110.00 price target on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Scotiabank lowered Starbucks from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Evercore raised their price target on Starbucks from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th.

Starbucks Stock Performance

Shares of Starbucks stock opened at $97.41 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $111.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 73.80, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.98. Starbucks has a fifty-two week low of $77.99 and a fifty-two week high of $108.88. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $99.52 and a 200 day moving average of $94.35.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $9.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.17 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 29.24% and a net margin of 3.89%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.41 earnings per share. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. Analysts forecast that Starbucks will post 2.42 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were given a dividend of $0.62 per share. 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 currently 187.88%.

More Starbucks News

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks is getting favorable attention for expanding its Refreshers lineup, including blended versions that management says could drive more afternoon visits and incremental sales from younger customers. Starbucks’ latest drink launch is a bet on the future of fast food beverages
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also encouraged by reports that Starbucks is seeing encouraging growth beyond the morning rush, suggesting the company’s turnaround efforts are starting to improve traffic patterns and revenue mix. Starbucks Sees Encouraging Growth beyond the Morning Rush, CNBC Reports
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary remains constructive, with coverage highlighting Starbucks’ $2 billion cost-savings plan and improving margins as potential catalysts for stronger EPS growth. Can Starbucks’ $2 Billion Cost-Savings Plan Accelerate EPS Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks’ CEO also signaled international expansion as part of the company’s growth push, reinforcing the view that management sees room for long-term sales gains. Starbucks Stock (SBUX) Turns Frothy as CEO Talks International Expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Starbucks CEO Brady Brewer disclosed a pre-arranged sale of 1,641 shares under a 10b5-1 plan, which is unlikely to be interpreted as a major change in fundamentals but can add modest overhang. SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: One external note highlighted broader market weakness in AI and tech stocks, but this is not directly tied to Starbucks’ business and appears to have limited impact on SBUX. Deja Vu? AI Overspending Fears Renew

Insider Buying and Selling at Starbucks

In other news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $8,548,198.79. This trade represents a 2.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total value of $210,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 57,653 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,053,565. This represents a 3.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 8,099 shares of company stock valued at $804,907. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SBUX. Providence Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Starbucks during the 3rd quarter worth about $6,099,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Starbucks by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 113,438,902 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $9,596,931,000 after buying an additional 577,279 shares during the last quarter. Compass Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Starbucks by 33.5% during the 3rd quarter. Compass Wealth Management LLC now owns 79,193 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $6,700,000 after buying an additional 19,877 shares during the last quarter. Oak Thistle LLC purchased a new stake in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth about $1,149,000. Finally, Czech National Bank lifted its holdings in Starbucks by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 299,833 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $25,249,000 after buying an additional 11,135 shares during the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Starbucks Company Profile

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.