Hsbc Holdings PLC Sells 176,164 Shares of Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Key Points

• HSBC Holdings PLC cut its Starbucks stake by 7.3% in the fourth quarter, selling 176,164 shares and leaving it with 2.24 million shares worth about $189 million.
• Starbucks reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $0.50 versus $0.44 expected and revenue of $9.53 billion versus $9.17 billion estimated. The company also raised its FY2026 EPS guidance to 2.25-2.45.
• Wall Street sentiment remains broadly positive, with analysts giving Starbucks a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $107.93. Meanwhile, several insiders, including CEO Brady Brewer and EVP Sara Kelly, recently sold shares under pre-arranged trading plans.

Hsbc Holdings PLC decreased its holdings in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) by 7.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,242,329 shares of the coffee company's stock after selling 176,164 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned about 0.20% of Starbucks worth $189,051,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. NWF Advisory Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. NWF Advisory Services Inc. now owns 4,349 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $366,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Aerodigm Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Starbucks by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Aerodigm Wealth LLC now owns 4,245 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $357,000 after buying an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. River Street Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV boosted its position in Starbucks by 38.2% in the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 409 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 113 shares during the period. Finally, Integrity Alliance LLC. boosted its position in Starbucks by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Integrity Alliance LLC. now owns 3,907 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $329,000 after buying an additional 114 shares during the period. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SBUX has been the subject of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Starbucks from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Wedbush began coverage on Starbucks in a report on Thursday, May 14th. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Guggenheim reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $97.00 target price (up from $95.00) on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $107.93.

Insider Buying and Selling at Starbucks

In related news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.81, for a total transaction of $233,621.49. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 81,559 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,548,198.79. This represents a 2.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total value of $210,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 57,653 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,053,565. This trade represents a 3.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 8,687 shares of company stock worth $863,707. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Starbucks Price Performance

NASDAQ:SBUX opened at $100.65 on Friday. Starbucks Corporation has a 52 week low of $77.99 and a 52 week high of $108.88. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $101.00 and a 200 day moving average of $95.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $114.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 76.25, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.98.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $9.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.17 billion. Starbucks had a net margin of 3.89% and a negative return on equity of 29.24%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.41 earnings per share. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.4 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were given a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Starbucks's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 187.88%.

Key Stories Impacting Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to cite Starbucks as a “wide moat” consumer stock with stable-return potential in the second half of 2026, which supports the investment case for SBUX. Buy 5 Non-Tech Wide Moat Stocks for a Stable Portfolio in 2H 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks is being spotlighted for growth initiatives, including plans to double its store count outside North America and to speed up expansion in India, signaling a longer-term unit-growth runway. Starbucks Could Double Its International Store Count. Is It Time to Invest $1,000?
• Positive Sentiment: Retail-sales coverage also listed SBUX among stocks benefiting from resilient consumer demand and improving earnings estimates, reinforcing the view that the business may be holding up well. 5 Stocks to Grab as Retail Sales Continue to Surge on Robust Demand
• Neutral Sentiment: Juneteenth-related coverage about whether Starbucks stores are open or closed is likely to affect traffic only modestly and is more of a customer-information item than a stock-moving catalyst. Is Starbucks open or closed on Juneteenth?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reuters-linked reports that Starbucks Korea will close all stores early for staff training point to reputational management efforts, but the direct financial impact appears limited unless backlash spreads. Starbucks Korea Faces Sales Hit after Backlash, Plans Nationwide Staff Training, Says Reuters
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage warned that Starbucks is among restaurant stocks investors should “think twice about,” reflecting broader caution around restaurant demand and consumer spending volatility. 3 Restaurant Stocks We Think Twice About
• Negative Sentiment: Recent market write-ups noted SBUX underperformed and saw a sharper drop than the broader market in prior trading, suggesting some near-term pressure remains on the stock. Starbucks (SBUX) Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market: Some Facts to Know

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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