Advisors Capital Management LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Key Points

• Advisors Capital Management LLC boosted its Starbucks stake by 1,607.2% in Q4, buying an additional 223,913 shares to hold 237,845 shares valued at about $20.03 million.
• Starbucks missed Q EPS estimates ($0.56 vs. $0.59) but beat on revenue ($9.92B), and set FY2026 guidance of 2.150–2.400 EPS (analysts’ consensus ~2.31).
• Analysts are generally constructive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target of about $104.75, amid several recent target upgrades and positive catalysts like AI initiatives and loyalty changes.

Advisors Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) by 1,607.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 237,845 shares of the coffee company's stock after buying an additional 223,913 shares during the quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC's holdings in Starbucks were worth $20,029,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Collier Financial purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Y.D. More Investments Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks in the third quarter valued at $26,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, PFS Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Starbucks by 457.4% in the third quarter. PFS Partners LLC now owns 340 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares during the period. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $103.00 target price (up from $100.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Bank of America set a $114.00 target price on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. TD Cowen restated a "hold" rating and issued a $89.00 target price (up from $84.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Starbucks from $86.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $95.00 price target (up from $90.00) on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Starbucks presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $104.75.

Starbucks Price Performance

NASDAQ SBUX opened at $98.67 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $112.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 81.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.95. Starbucks Corporation has a 12 month low of $75.50 and a 12 month high of $104.82. The company's fifty day moving average price is $96.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $90.41.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.59 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $9.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.62 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 28.66% and a net margin of 3.63%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.69 earnings per share. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.400 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.31 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.62 per share. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Starbucks's dividend payout ratio is 204.96%.

Starbucks News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Stifel raised its price target to $115 (from $105) and reiterated a Buy ahead of the April 28 report — a clear vote of confidence that supports near-term upside expectations. Stifel Boosts Starbucks (SBUX) Target, Sees Earnings In Line with Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target and kept an Overweight rating, reinforcing momentum from recent analyst upgrades that have helped lift sentiment into earnings. JPMorgan Raises Price Target on Starbucks
• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks unveiled a new AI platform that management and analysts say could expand personalization, speed service and attract new customers — a strategic catalyst investors view as extending long-term growth and margin opportunities. Starbucks Reveals Groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence (AI) Platform
• Positive Sentiment: Changes to the loyalty program are drawing value-seeking customers (higher redemptions of the new $2-off option), which could help traffic and comps if sustained. Starbucks' loyalty program changes are drawing value-conscious customers
• Positive Sentiment: Operational moves — paring back some tech roles, planning global tech hubs to bring work in-house and cut costs — are being framed as margin-improvement actions by investors. Starbucks Brewing up Global Tech Plan to Bring Jobs Back in-House and Slash Costs
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street previews (Zacks/Seeking Alpha) note potential “Back to Starbucks” progress and menu innovation but also flag seasonal margin pressures and cost headwinds — these create earnings risk/reward ambiguity ahead of Q2. Starbucks to Post Q2 Earnings: What's in the Cards for the Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Nestlé extended its K-Cup alliance for Starbucks-branded pods in North America — a steady revenue stream for at-home coffee but likely modest near-term impact on store-level results. Nestlé Extends Starbucks K Cup Alliance
• Negative Sentiment: DA Davidson issued a Neutral rating, reflecting lingering skepticism from some shops; mixed analyst views can cap upside entering earnings. Starbucks Earns "Neutral" Rating from DA Davidson
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from rivals (e.g., Dutch Bros, Dunkin’) and questions about store footprint strategy (shift to exurbs, drive-thru focus) may pressure margins and same-store-sales in some markets. Starbucks rival challenges coffee giant's dominance

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total value of $242,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 59,609 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,789,226.08. This trade represents a 4.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Brady Brewer sold 588 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total transaction of $58,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 83,788 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,378,800. This trade represents a 0.70% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 6,958 shares of company stock worth $667,464 over the last three months. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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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