HighTower Advisors LLC Purchases 350,364 Shares of Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors LLC increased its Starbucks stake by 24.2% in the fourth quarter, buying 350,364 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 1,795,943 shares worth about $151.2 million.
• Starbucks reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $0.50 versus $0.44 expected and revenue of $9.53 billion versus $9.17 billion expected. The company also raised its FY 2026 guidance to 2.25-2.45 EPS.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.62 per share, payable May 29, representing an annualized yield of 2.3%. Meanwhile, analysts remain moderately bullish overall, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a target price of $107.48.

HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) by 24.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,795,943 shares of the coffee company's stock after purchasing an additional 350,364 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC owned about 0.16% of Starbucks worth $151,236,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Aerodigm Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Aerodigm Wealth LLC now owns 4,245 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $357,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. River Street Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Starbucks by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. River Street Advisors LLC now owns 13,516 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $1,138,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Opus Capital Group LLC raised its stake in Starbucks by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. Opus Capital Group LLC now owns 3,187 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $268,000 after buying an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. Wynn Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Starbucks by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Wynn Capital LLC now owns 11,895 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $1,002,000 after buying an additional 122 shares during the period. Finally, Winch Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Starbucks by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 11,004 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $931,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.29% of the company's stock.

Starbucks Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ SBUX opened at $106.38 on Wednesday. Starbucks Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $77.99 and a fifty-two week high of $108.88. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $98.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $92.70. The company has a market capitalization of $121.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 80.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.01.

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

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.62 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Starbucks's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 187.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Starbucks

In other news, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total transaction of $242,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 59,609 shares in the company, valued at $5,789,226.08. This trade represents a 4.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.81, for a total transaction of $233,621.49. Following the sale, 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. 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 11,187 shares of company stock valued at $1,111,085 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SBUX has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. UBS Group lowered Starbucks from a "neutral" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Scotiabank lowered Starbucks from a "market perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $117.00 price objective on Starbucks and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $107.48.

Trending Headlines about Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary remains constructive, with articles highlighting Starbucks as a potential winner after its recent run and noting that the stock is attracting attention from analysts and traders. This reflects optimism around the company’s “Back to Starbucks” turnaround and improved earnings expectations. Is Starbucks (SBUX) Still Attractive After A 27% Year To Date Share Price Climb
• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks announced a major restructuring aimed at boosting efficiency, including closing regional support offices and eliminating about 300 corporate roles as part of a broader $2 billion cost-saving effort. Investors may view the move as margin-accretive over time, despite near-term disruption. Starbucks Restructuring Tests Back To Starbucks Turnaround And Margin Hopes
• Positive Sentiment: Several market notes point to Starbucks benefiting from stronger retail spending and upbeat earnings estimate revisions, suggesting fundamentals and sentiment are improving. 5 Stocks to Boost Your Portfolio as Retail Sales Continue to Soar
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of Starbucks as a “trending stock” and options-market activity mainly indicates heightened investor interest rather than a clear new fundamental catalyst. Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles comparing Starbucks with other restaurant stocks and discussing its relative valuation suggest investors are still weighing whether the recent rally has gone too far. Better Buy: Starbucks vs. Dutch Bros Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Starbucks Korea’s country head was fired after a “Tank Day” promotion sparked public outrage over references to a brutal military crackdown, creating a reputational overhang for the brand in an important international market. Starbucks Korea head fired after 'Tank Day' promotion sparks public uproar

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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