Invesco Ltd. Purchases 832,540 Shares of Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Key Points

• Invesco Ltd. increased its Starbucks stake by 6.5%, buying 832,540 shares in the quarter to hold 13,590,494 shares (about 1.20%) valued at roughly $1.15 billion.
• News flow and sentiment are mixed: endorsements and a more generous rewards program are supporting momentum, while analyst caution, negative sell‑side pieces and recent insider sales pose near‑term headwinds.
• Financial snapshot: Starbucks missed EPS by $0.03 ($0.56 vs. $0.59) but beat revenue ($9.92B), set FY26 guidance of 2.150–2.400 EPS

Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) by 6.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 13,590,494 shares of the coffee company's stock after purchasing an additional 832,540 shares during the quarter. Invesco Ltd. owned about 1.20% of Starbucks worth $1,149,756,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Transce3nd LLC raised its stake in shares of Starbucks by 270.3% in the second quarter. Transce3nd LLC now owns 274 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Y.D. More Investments Ltd purchased a new position in Starbucks in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. MTM Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, PFS Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Starbucks by 457.4% during the 3rd quarter. PFS Partners LLC now owns 340 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 279 shares during the period. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile endorsement: CNBC reports that market commentator Josh Brown added Starbucks to his "Best Stocks" list, reinforcing momentum narrative and investor confidence in the turnaround. Starbucks makes it into Josh Brown's Best Stocks list as turnaround gains steam
• Positive Sentiment: Customer retention lift: TheStreet reports Starbucks has made its rewards program more generous, which management says is helping demand and could lift same‑store sales if retention trends continue. Starbucks makes its rewards program more generous for customers
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest down: Recent data showed a material fall in short interest (February), reducing a near‑term bearish overhang and potential for short squeezes to unwind — supportive for the tape. (No link)
• Neutral Sentiment: Shareholder forum scheduled: Starbucks will webcast its 2026 annual meeting on March 25; a governance update opportunity but unlikely to move fundamentals immediately. Starbucks to Webcast 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider activity: CEO Brady Brewer sold a small number of shares (~588), a minor reduction that is being treated by the market as routine rather than a signal of deteriorating prospects. SEC Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Sell-side and media skepticism: A Yahoo Finance/MSN "3 Reasons to Sell SBUX" piece argues valuation and execution risks remain despite the rally, which can pressure sentiment among rotational or value‑focused investors. 3 Reasons to Sell SBUX and 1 Stock to Buy Instead
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst caution: Wolfe Research initiated coverage and moved SBUX to Peer Perform (from Outperform), signaling more guarded views on competitive pressures and limiting upside from fresh buy‑side interest. Wolfe Research Turns Neutral on Starbucks (SBUX) amid Competitive Coffee Market
• Negative Sentiment: Store footprint changes & PR noise: Coverage of additional store closures/strategy shifts and founder Howard Schultz's move to Miami (amid a state tax story) create execution and reputational headlines that can weigh on sentiment short term. Starbucks announces more store closures as strategy shifts Starbucks Founder Leaves Washington State With Millionaire Tax

Starbucks Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of SBUX stock opened at $100.18 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $94.97 and a 200 day simple moving average of $88.21. Starbucks Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $75.50 and a fifty-two week high of $104.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $114.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 82.79, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.93.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.59 by ($0.03). Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 28.66% and a net margin of 3.63%.The business had revenue of $9.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.62 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.69 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.400 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Starbucks news, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total value 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 filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Brady Brewer sold 1,641 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total transaction of $159,373.92. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 86,605 shares in the company, valued at $8,411,077.60. This represents a 1.86% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 4,729 shares of company stock valued at $460,974 in the last quarter. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on SBUX shares. TD Cowen restated a "hold" rating and set a $89.00 target price (up from $84.00) on shares of Starbucks in a report on Friday, January 30th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Friday, January 30th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Barclays set a $116.00 target price on Starbucks and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $103.00 target price (up from $100.00) on shares of Starbucks in a report on Friday, January 30th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Starbucks presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $104.22.

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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