KBC Group NV Cuts Position in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

KBC Group NV decreased its holdings in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) by 3.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 321,785 shares of the coffee company's stock after selling 10,598 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV's holdings in Starbucks were worth $28,829,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in SBUX. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Phillip James Consulting Co. acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Financial Freedom LLC grew its holdings in Starbucks by 296.2% during the 1st quarter. Financial Freedom LLC now owns 313 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on SBUX shares. Wedbush started coverage on shares of Starbucks in a report on Thursday, May 14th. They issued an "outperform" rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Starbucks from a "neutral" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Citizens Jmp assumed coverage on Starbucks in a research note on Monday, March 30th. They issued an "underperform" rating and a $84.00 price target on the stock. Guggenheim reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $97.00 price target (up from $95.00) on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, BTIG Research lowered Starbucks from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $109.42.

Starbucks News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted that Starbucks raised its fiscal 2026 outlook, citing traffic gains, margin recovery, and cost savings as evidence the turnaround is gaining traction.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary from The Motley Fool said Niccol’s turnaround appears to be “quietly working,” even though profits were cut in half last year, suggesting investors still see meaningful upside if execution continues.
• Positive Sentiment: Health-related news that moderate coffee intake may reduce cardiovascular risk could provide a modest sentiment lift for coffee demand overall.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are now focused on Starbucks’ upcoming earnings report on July 29, which will be the next key checkpoint for validating the turnaround.
• Negative Sentiment: Luckin Coffee’s move into New York adds a new competitor in the U.S. coffee market and could pressure Starbucks’ traffic and pricing power, especially in key urban markets.
• Negative Sentiment: Despite progress, Starbucks is still operating from a weaker profit base after earnings were roughly cut in half last year, leaving the valuation more dependent on sustained recovery.

Insider Activity at Starbucks

In related news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.00, for a total value of $231,816.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 77,364 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,045,856. This trade represents a 2.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total value of $210,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 57,653 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,053,565. This represents a 3.35% 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 8,687 shares of company stock valued at $889,033 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Starbucks Stock Performance

Shares of Starbucks stock opened at $104.45 on Wednesday. Starbucks Corporation has a 1 year low of $77.99 and a 1 year high of $109.23. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $102.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $98.20. The firm has a market cap of $119.04 billion, a PE ratio of 79.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.98.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.41 earnings per share. Starbucks'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, equities analysts predict that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.62 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Starbucks's dividend payout ratio is 187.88%.

Starbucks Company 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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