Alps Advisors Inc. Purchases 293,793 Shares of Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Key Points

• Alps Advisors Inc. sharply increased its Starbucks stake by 1,260.7% in the fourth quarter, buying 293,793 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 317,097 shares worth about $26.7 million.
• Several other institutional investors also boosted or initiated positions in Starbucks, and institutions now own 72.29% of the company’s shares, underscoring continued investor interest.
• Starbucks reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $0.50 versus the $0.44 estimate and revenue of $9.53 billion topping forecasts, while management also set FY2026 EPS guidance at 2.25 to 2.45.

Alps Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) by 1,260.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 317,097 shares of the coffee company's stock after purchasing an additional 293,793 shares during the period. Alps Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Starbucks were worth $26,703,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in SBUX. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in shares of Starbucks by 86.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 176,722 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $16,126,000 after purchasing an additional 81,952 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its stake in shares of Starbucks by 47.0% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 3,642 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $334,000 after purchasing an additional 1,164 shares during the period. Flow Traders U.S. LLC bought a new position in shares of Starbucks during the second quarter worth approximately $288,000. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL increased its stake in shares of Starbucks by 92.8% during the second quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 5,225 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $479,000 after purchasing an additional 2,515 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Starbucks by 7.6% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 112,710 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $10,328,000 after purchasing an additional 7,978 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 72.29% of the company's stock.

Starbucks Stock Performance

Shares of SBUX opened at $102.28 on Friday. Starbucks Corporation has a 52-week low of $77.99 and a 52-week high of $108.88. The business's fifty day moving average is $100.02 and its 200-day moving average is $94.59. The firm has a market cap of $116.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 77.49, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.98.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.06. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 29.24% and a net margin of 3.89%.The company had revenue of $9.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.41 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Starbucks's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 187.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Starbucks

In other news, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,000 shares of Starbucks 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 in the company, valued at approximately $6,053,565. This trade represents a 3.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 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 on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.81, for a total value of $233,621.49. Following the completion of 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 quarter, insiders sold 8,099 shares of company stock worth $804,907. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. DA Davidson increased their target price on Starbucks from $97.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Stephens began coverage on Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. They set an "overweight" rating on the stock. Scotiabank downgraded Starbucks from a "market perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Dbs Bank raised Starbucks from a "strong sell" rating to a "moderate sell" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded Starbucks from a "sector perform" rating to a "positive" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $107.93.

Starbucks News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks is reportedly evaluating a sale or IPO-style transaction for its Japan operations, a move that could unlock value from one of its most important overseas markets and free up capital for other priorities. Starbucks Evaluates Sale and IPO Options for Japanese Operations (SBUX)
• Positive Sentiment: Additional reports said Starbucks has held early discussions with investment banks about strategic options in Japan, reinforcing speculation that management may take another asset-light step similar to its recent China ownership changes. Starbucks mulls options for Japan business, including stake sale
• Positive Sentiment: Business headlines also pointed to ongoing operational momentum, including stronger U.S. comparable-store sales, rising transactions across income groups, and improving operating income, which supports the view that the turnaround is gaining traction. Starbucks eyes massive change in key market
• Positive Sentiment: Investor enthusiasm was also reflected in unusually heavy call-option buying, a sign that some traders are positioning for further upside in SBUX. Starbucks eyes massive change in Japan
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Brady Brewer disclosed a pre-arranged share sale under a 10b5-1 trading plan, which is routine and not necessarily a bearish signal, but it can create modest headline noise. SEC filing

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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