K.J. Harrison & Partners Inc Invests $2.62 Million in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Key Points

• K.J. Harrison & Partners bought a new stake of 31,100 Starbucks shares (~$2.62 million) in Q4, joining several large institutions that have recently increased positions; institutional investors now own about 72.29% of SBUX.
• Starbucks beat Q2 estimates with $0.50 EPS vs. $0.44 and $9.53B revenue vs. $9.17B, set FY‑26 EPS guidance of $2.25–$2.45 (consensus ~2.4), and has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target near $107.
• Insiders (including CEO Brady Brewer and EVP Sara Kelly) executed small sales under Rule 10b5‑1 plans in recent weeks, the company declared a $0.62 quarterly dividend (2.3% yield), and the stock trades at a high P/E (~80.6) with a reported dividend payout ratio of ~188%.

K.J. Harrison & Partners Inc purchased a new stake in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 31,100 shares of the coffee company's stock, valued at approximately $2,619,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of SBUX. Capital Research Global Investors grew its stake in Starbucks by 11.4% in the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 85,460,350 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $7,229,968,000 after acquiring an additional 8,774,198 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Starbucks by 146.6% in the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,049,192 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $553,201,000 after purchasing an additional 3,596,014 shares during the period. Capital International Investors increased its stake in Starbucks by 22.5% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 14,691,772 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $1,243,104,000 after purchasing an additional 2,699,479 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in Starbucks by 80.6% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 5,105,164 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $433,923,000 after buying an additional 2,277,792 shares during the period. Finally, Capital World Investors raised its holdings in Starbucks by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 77,720,137 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $6,575,430,000 after buying an additional 1,462,874 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.29% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 588 shares of Starbucks stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total value of $58,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 83,788 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,378,800. This trade represents a 0.70% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal 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 business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total transaction of $210,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 57,653 shares in the company, valued at $6,053,565. This represents a 3.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders sold 8,958 shares of company stock valued at $877,464. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of Starbucks from $97.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Barclays set a $116.00 target price on shares of Starbucks and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $97.00 price objective (up from $95.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Starbucks from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $107.00.

Key Headlines Impacting Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 takeaways show improving traffic and execution that support the "turnaround" thesis—investors treated the results as confirmation the recovery is working. Is the Starbucks Turnaround Working? Key Takeaways From Q2 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction highlighted a strong after‑hours move after mixed Q2 results but a higher FY‑26 EPS guide (2.25–2.45), signaling management confidence that helped lift the stock. Why Starbucks (SBUX) Is Up 8.2% After Mixed Q2 Results And Higher Earnings Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Same‑store sales jumped ~6.2%, ending a multi‑quarter decline and reinforcing that in‑store demand is recovering under Niccol’s strategy. Brian Niccol Earned the ‘Retail Messi’ Nickname: Starbucks Same-Store Sales Jump 6.2% After 7 Quarters of Decline
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and commentary note clear improvements but advise caution: the beat/guidance is constructive, yet questions remain about sustainability and whether current momentum justifies today’s valuation. Starbucks Stages a Major Comeback. But Does That Mean You Should Buy It Now? Not So Fast.
• Neutral Sentiment: SBUX is drawing high investor attention and searches—useful signal for liquidity/interest but not a directional fundamental indicator by itself. Investors Heavily Search Starbucks Corporation (SBUX): Here is What You Need to Know
• Negative Sentiment: Front‑line employees say a new $1,200 bonus plan has unrealistic thresholds amid staffing shortages—risking morale, execution and service if staffing pressures persist. Starbucks baristas tell us why the new $1,200 bonus is impossible to get
• Negative Sentiment: Customer "cup note" complaints and commentary describe service/experience issues—signals that operational execution and brand perception still need work despite sales improvements. “They Read Like a Cry for Help”, Starbucks Stock NASDAQ: SBUX Notches Up Despite Cup Note Concerns

Starbucks Stock Up 1.4%

SBUX stock opened at $106.44 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $121.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 80.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.01. Starbucks Corporation has a twelve month low of $77.99 and a twelve month high of $107.55. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $96.91 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $91.41.

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 (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 company had revenue of $9.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.41 EPS. The business's revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

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

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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