Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI Takes $3.48 Million Position in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI bought a new position in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 34,044 shares of the coffee company's stock, valued at approximately $3,479,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Starbucks during the second quarter worth approximately $8,504,509,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 4th quarter valued at $1,232,650,000. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Starbucks by 65.9% in the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 19,447,854 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $1,637,704,000 after acquiring an additional 7,725,547 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks during the 2nd quarter valued at $779,790,000. Finally, Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 9.0% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 84,727,405 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $7,135,228,000 after acquiring an additional 7,007,268 shares in the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded Starbucks from an "overweight" rating to an "underweight" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. Wedbush started coverage on Starbucks in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Guggenheim assumed coverage on Starbucks in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered Starbucks from an "overweight" rating to an "underweight" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Starbucks currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $110.30.

Starbucks News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks is eliminating more than 200 corporate positions as part of a broader restructuring and approximately $2 billion cost-reduction effort. Lower overhead could support profitability if the company maintains service levels and directs more resources toward its stores. The reductions do not involve cafe closures. Starbucks trims corporate ranks as coffeehouse investments deliver
• Positive Sentiment: Recent market commentary highlights Starbucks’ roughly 25% 2026 gain and suggests investors are rewarding its operational reset and investments in the cafe experience. The rally follows the company’s latest quarterly earnings beat, with adjusted EPS of $0.85 versus a $0.66 consensus estimate and revenue above expectations.
• Neutral Sentiment: The restructuring is relocating some corporate operations to a new, approximately $100 million Nashville office. Around 120 Seattle employees reportedly declined the move, while another 104 roles in store design and construction are being eliminated. Management characterizes the actions as part of the restructuring winding down, but the savings and impact on execution remain to be demonstrated. Starbucks cuts another 224 Seattle jobs
• Negative Sentiment: Starbucks continues to face challenges in China, where domestic competitors, shifting consumer preferences and geopolitical tensions are eroding the position of major U.S. brands. China weakness could limit international growth and pressure comparable sales. Why some of America’s biggest brands are losing ground in China
• Negative Sentiment: The stock’s strong performance has also produced a demanding valuation, with the supplied data showing a P/E ratio above 60. Investors may require sustained earnings growth from the turnaround to justify the premium, leaving SBUX vulnerable to disappointment.

Starbucks Stock Up 3.0%

SBUX stock opened at $107.08 on Friday. The stock's 50 day moving average is $104.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $100.36. Starbucks Corporation has a 52-week low of $77.99 and a 52-week high of $110.51. The company has a market capitalization of $122.07 billion, a PE ratio of 61.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.97.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The coffee company reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $9.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.50 EPS. The business's revenue was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.550-2.650 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.64 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.99, for a total value of $236,251.71. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 75,135 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,963,558.65. The trade was a 2.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 6,687 shares of company stock worth $681,663. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

About Starbucks

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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