6,357,006 Shares in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX Acquired by Legal & General Group Plc

Key Points

• Legal & General Group Plc acquired 6.36 million Starbucks shares worth approximately $649.6 million, giving it a 0.56% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 72.29% of Starbucks.
• Starbucks reported quarterly EPS of $0.85, beating estimates of $0.66, while revenue reached $9.32 billion, above expectations but down 1.4% year over year. The company maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $2.55–$2.65.
• Shares opened at $105.76, near their 12-month high, and Starbucks declared a quarterly dividend of $0.62 per share, representing a 2.3% annualized yield. Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $110.30.

Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 6,357,006 shares of the coffee company's stock, valued at approximately $649,622,000. Legal & General Group Plc owned approximately 0.56% of Starbucks at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Starbucks in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Phillip James Consulting Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Starbucks in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Institutional investors own 72.29% of the company's stock.

Starbucks Stock Down 1.6%

Starbucks stock opened at $105.76 on Wednesday. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $104.65 and its 200 day simple moving average is $100.59. The stock has a market cap of $120.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.97. Starbucks Corporation has a 12-month low of $77.99 and a 12-month high of $110.51.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The coffee company reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.19. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 34.10% and a net margin of 5.17%.The firm had revenue of $9.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.50 EPS. The company's quarterly 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, sell-side analysts expect that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.64 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.62 per share. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Starbucks's payout ratio is 142.53%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Starbucks news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the firm's 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 75,135 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,963,558.65. This trade represents a 2.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 6,687 shares of company stock valued at $681,663 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal promotions are supporting the turnaround. Starbucks launched its fall menu and Pumpkin Spice Latte season, while the limited-time Unicorn Frappuccino reportedly generated the company’s highest sales weekend on record and lifted traffic 28.5% above a typical Saturday. New offerings, including the Blueberry Matcha Daily Fiber Bar, are also intended to drive visits and strengthen the “Back to Starbucks” strategy. Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino drives biggest sales weekend ever
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains constructive. Baird initiated coverage with an Outperform rating and a $124 price target, implying additional upside based on expectations for improved traffic, margin recovery and continued execution of the turnaround. Starbucks has also reported better-than-expected recent earnings and maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $2.55–$2.65. Baird sees upside for Starbucks
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate restructuring continues. Starbucks plans to eliminate more than 200 Seattle-area corporate positions and shift some roles to Nashville. The cuts could reduce costs and streamline operations, but they also highlight ongoing execution challenges and may create transition or morale risks. Starbucks is cutting more than 200 jobs
• Negative Sentiment: Labor conflict is the main near-term overhang. Starbucks Workers United is urging more than 12,000 unionized baristas and customers to boycott the chain during the Pumpkin Spice Latte launch until management reaches a contract agreement. The financial impact depends on participation, but a sustained boycott could undermine the traffic gains investors are watching and add reputational and labor costs. Starbucks union calls for boycott

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SBUX has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Scotiabank lowered shares of Starbucks from a "market perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Guggenheim assumed coverage on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Zacks Research lowered shares of Starbucks from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. DA Davidson increased their price target on shares of Starbucks from $102.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $110.00 price target on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $110.30.

Starbucks 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.

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