Arizona State Retirement System Lowers Holdings in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Key Points

• Arizona State Retirement System trimmed its stake in Starbucks by 3.5%, selling 11,609 shares and holding 320,259 shares worth about $26.97 million at the end of the quarter.
• Starbucks missed Q4 EPS expectations ($0.56 vs. $0.59) while revenue rose 5.5% to $9.92 billion; management gave FY2026 guidance of 2.15–2.40 EPS, the stock trades at a high trailing PE (~82) and yields about 2.5% with a payout ratio above 200%.
• Analysts' consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $104.93, but mixed catalysts — loyalty program and a $100M Nashville office are positive, while tech cuts, competition and recent insider sales pose near‑term risks.

Arizona State Retirement System decreased its stake in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) by 3.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 320,259 shares of the coffee company's stock after selling 11,609 shares during the quarter. Arizona State Retirement System's holdings in Starbucks were worth $26,969,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Starbucks by 8.0% during the fourth quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,765 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $149,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Enterprises LLC raised its holdings in Starbucks by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Diversified Enterprises LLC now owns 4,818 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $406,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Science Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth approximately $244,000. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC raised its holdings in Starbucks by 13.3% in the 4th quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 20,555 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $1,731,000 after acquiring an additional 2,408 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quent Long Short Global Small Cap Fund LP purchased a new position in Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth approximately $269,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.29% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on SBUX. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Friday, January 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of Starbucks from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and set a $105.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Zacks Research raised shares of Starbucks from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $86.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $104.93.

Starbucks Stock Performance

Shares of SBUX stock opened at $99.54 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $113.41 billion, a PE ratio of 82.26, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.95. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $95.93 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $90.23. Starbucks Corporation has a 52-week low of $75.50 and a 52-week high of $104.82.

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

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Starbucks's payout ratio is currently 204.96%.

Starbucks News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Early signs that Starbucks’ loyalty revamp is drawing value‑seeking customers — the new 60‑star redemption option is reportedly the most popular redemption and is driving traffic, which supports near‑term comp recovery. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks picked Nashville for a $100M Southeast corporate/support office; the move (and Benzinga’s report of a stock jump after the announcement) signals investment in U.S. operations and regional support that could improve execution and lower costs over time. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Retail/packaged‑goods expansion: Nestlé/Keurig distribution extension for Starbucks K‑Cup pods broadens at‑home revenue and recurring grocery exposure. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are mixed but constructive — several firms keep hold/buy views and some (e.g., Stifel) are more bullish on upside, supporting market interest ahead of earnings. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Brady Brewer disclosed a small, pre‑arranged sale under a 10b5‑1 plan; routine insider selling is not a clear directional signal. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Starbucks is cutting/reshaping tech roles and paring back some tech jobs as it brings more tech work in‑house — this could produce one‑time charges, execution risk for digital initiatives, and near‑term disruption. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain cautious ahead of April 28 earnings after the last quarter missed EPS; high trailing valuation and weak ROE make SBUX sensitive to any execution slip. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure: challengers (Dunkin’, Dutch Bros, regional chains) and store strategy shifts (exurbs/drive‑through focus) complicate long‑term comps and unit economics. Read More.

Insider Activity at Starbucks

In other news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 1,641 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total transaction of $159,373.92. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 86,605 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,411,077.60. The trade was a 1.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total value of $242,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 59,609 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,789,226.08. This represents a 4.03% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 6,958 shares of company stock worth $667,464. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SBUX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.