Candriam S.C.A. Acquires 40,466 Shares of Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Key Points

• Candriam S.C.A. increased its Starbucks stake by 26.4%, buying 40,466 shares in the third quarter to hold 193,958 shares valued at about $18.3 million.
• Institutional ownership stands at 72.29%, with several other investors also adding or initiating positions in Starbucks.
• Starbucks’ latest quarter beat EPS expectations ($0.80 vs. $0.72), but revenue fell 4.5% year over year and missed estimates; analysts’ consensus rating is “Hold,” with an average price target of $108.89.

Candriam S.C.A. boosted its holdings in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) by 26.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 193,958 shares of the coffee company's stock after purchasing an additional 40,466 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A.'s holdings in Starbucks were worth $18,291,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of SBUX. Robinhood Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Starbucks during the 2nd quarter valued at $10,187,000. Nykredit A S bought a new position in shares of Starbucks in the second quarter worth $29,524,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new position in shares of Starbucks in the second quarter worth $61,404,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in shares of Starbucks in the second quarter worth $1,581,287,000. Finally, Saudi Central Bank grew its position in shares of Starbucks by 90.0% in the second quarter. Saudi Central Bank now owns 79,751 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $8,150,000 after purchasing an additional 37,779 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 72.29% of the company's stock.

Starbucks News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: U.S. comparable sales rose 7.7% in fiscal Q4, driven by stronger customer traffic and average tickets—evidence of improving business momentum. Starbucks' U.S. Comps Jump 7.7%: Can Traffic Momentum Last?
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS raised its price target from $105 to $110, implying 4.4% upside from the cited price, but maintained a “neutral” rating—suggesting measured rather than strong conviction. UBS Group stock recommendations
• Negative Sentiment: Investors may question the durability of the sales rebound: transaction growth is slowing, and store closures contributed to the comparison, potentially making the reported improvement harder to sustain. Starbucks' U.S. Comps Jump 7.7%: Can Traffic Momentum Last?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on SBUX. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Starbucks from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday. Compass Point began coverage on Starbucks in a report on Monday, August 3rd. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Starbucks from $112.00 to $105.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Starbucks from $125.00 to $120.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Finally, Seaport Research Partners began coverage on Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $108.89.

Starbucks Price Performance

SBUX opened at $105.41 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $120.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.01. Starbucks Corporation has a one year low of $81.76 and a one year high of $111.50. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $99.15 and a 200-day moving average price of $100.05.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The coffee company reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.08. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 38.61% and a net margin of 6.66%. The company had revenue of $9.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.22 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.52 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was down 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Starbucks Corporation will post 3.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Starbucks Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 13th will be issued a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 13th. This is an increase from Starbucks's previous quarterly dividend of $0.62. Starbucks's payout ratio is 114.03%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Starbucks

In other news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 588 shares of Starbucks stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 20th. 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 owned 70,920 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,092,000. This trade represents a 0.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 4,458 shares of company stock valued at $449,684. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Starbucks Profile

Starbucks Corporation is a global coffee company that roasts, markets and sells coffee and other beverages, along with food and related merchandise. Its offerings include brewed coffee, espresso-based drinks, teas and packaged coffee products.

The company serves customers through company-operated and licensed stores, as well as through retail and food-service partnerships. Its stores also sell items such as mugs and coffee-making equipment.

Founded in Seattle in 1971, Starbucks operates in North America and international markets, including China.

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