Ieq Capital LLC Buys Shares of 19,535 Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Key Points

• Ieq Capital purchased 19,535 Starbucks shares in the second quarter, valued at approximately $2.0 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 72.29% of the company.
• Starbucks reported quarterly EPS of $0.85, beating estimates of $0.66, while revenue of $9.32 billion also exceeded expectations. However, revenue declined 1.4% year over year, and the company maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $2.55–$2.65.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but leans constructive, with 19 Buy, 11 Hold and 4 Sell ratings and an average price target of $110.30. Starbucks also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.62 per share, representing a 2.3% annualized yield.

Ieq Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 19,535 shares of the coffee company's stock, valued at approximately $1,996,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Sunbelt Securities Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Starbucks by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 9,473 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $849,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Webster Bank N. A. grew its position in shares of Starbucks by 7.8% in the second quarter. Webster Bank N. A. now owns 1,396 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $143,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. Nilsine Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Starbucks by 1.0% in the second quarter. Nilsine Partners LLC now owns 10,039 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $1,026,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. Beta Wealth Group Inc. increased its stake in Starbucks by 1.7% in the second quarter. Beta Wealth Group Inc. now owns 6,216 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $635,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elgethun Capital Management lifted its position in Starbucks by 9.4% during the second quarter. Elgethun Capital Management now owns 1,219 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $125,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.29% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal promotions are supporting the turnaround. Starbucks launched its fall menu and Pumpkin Spice Latte season, while the limited-time Unicorn Frappuccino reportedly generated the company’s highest sales weekend on record and lifted traffic 28.5% above a typical Saturday. New offerings, including the Blueberry Matcha Daily Fiber Bar, are also intended to drive visits and strengthen the “Back to Starbucks” strategy. Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino drives biggest sales weekend ever
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains constructive. Baird initiated coverage with an Outperform rating and a $124 price target, implying additional upside based on expectations for improved traffic, margin recovery and continued execution of the turnaround. Starbucks has also reported better-than-expected recent earnings and maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $2.55–$2.65. Baird sees upside for Starbucks
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate restructuring continues. Starbucks plans to eliminate more than 200 Seattle-area corporate positions and shift some roles to Nashville. The cuts could reduce costs and streamline operations, but they also highlight ongoing execution challenges and may create transition or morale risks. Starbucks is cutting more than 200 jobs
• Negative Sentiment: Labor conflict is the main near-term overhang. Starbucks Workers United is urging more than 12,000 unionized baristas and customers to boycott the chain during the Pumpkin Spice Latte launch until management reaches a contract agreement. The financial impact depends on participation, but a sustained boycott could undermine the traffic gains investors are watching and add reputational and labor costs. Starbucks union calls for boycott

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SBUX has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Stephens initiated coverage on Starbucks in a report on Thursday, May 14th. They issued an "overweight" rating for the company. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $130.00 target price on shares of Starbucks in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lowered shares of Starbucks from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $110.30.

Insider Activity at Starbucks

In related news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of Starbucks stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.99, for a total transaction of $236,251.71. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 75,135 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,963,558.65. The trade was a 2.88% decrease in their position. The transaction 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 quarter, insiders have sold 6,687 shares of company stock valued at $681,663. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Starbucks Price Performance

Starbucks stock opened at $105.76 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $120.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.97. Starbucks Corporation has a 12 month low of $77.99 and a 12 month high of $110.51. The stock's 50-day moving average is $104.65 and its 200-day moving average is $100.59.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The coffee company reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.19. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 34.10% and a net margin of 5.17%.The business had revenue of $9.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.50 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.550-2.650 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.64 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

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

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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