KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Boosts Holdings in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Key Points

• KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS boosted its Starbucks stake 15.4% in Q4 to 472,573 shares, valued at about $39.8 million per its latest 13F filing.
• Starbucks missed quarterly EPS ($0.56 vs. $0.59) though revenue beat, provided FY2026 guidance of $2.15–$2.40 (street ~2.31), and faces near‑term volatility ahead of the April 28 Q2 print.
• Key catalysts include expanded U.S./Canada distribution of Starbucks‑branded K‑Cup pods via Keurig Dr Pepper/Nestlé and a planned $100M Nashville office (≈2,000 jobs), while tech layoffs and recent insider sales present execution and sentiment risks.

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS grew its position in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) by 15.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 472,573 shares of the coffee company's stock after buying an additional 62,900 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS's holdings in Starbucks were worth $39,795,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 433,112 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $36,576,000 after acquiring an additional 13,262 shares during the last quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $6,099,000. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 548,768 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $46,426,000 after acquiring an additional 16,428 shares during the last quarter. Allstate Corp acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $3,491,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 113,438,902 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $9,596,931,000 after acquiring an additional 577,279 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.29% of the company's stock.

Starbucks News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Keurig Dr Pepper and Nestlé will expand distribution of Starbucks‑branded K‑Cup pods across the U.S. and Canada, which should widen packaged‑goods reach and add recurring retail revenue. Keurig, Nestlé extend Starbucks K‑Cup deal
• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks will invest $100M to open a Southeast corporate/support office in Nashville, expected to create ~2,000 jobs over five years — a multi‑year operational investment to support U.S. growth. Starbucks to invest $100 million in Nashville
• Positive Sentiment: UBS and other commentators see a likely North American comparable‑sales beat and Q2 upside from improving U.S. trends, which could support an earnings beat. Starbucks Likely to Deliver North American Comparable Sales Beat, UBS Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Stifel raised its price target to $115 and kept a Buy — a constructive analyst signal that provides upside vs. current levels. Stifel raises SBUX price target
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Brady Brewer sold 588 shares under a pre‑arranged Rule 10b5‑1 plan (small, ~0.7% cut); planned insider sales are often routine but draw attention ahead of earnings. SEC Form 4 disclosure
• Negative Sentiment: Starbucks is cutting roles in its technology organization as the new CTO restructures the team — this could lead to near‑term charges and execution risk on digital/tech initiatives. Starbucks cuts tech jobs
• Negative Sentiment: Shares have been pressured as investors await April 28 Q2 results; short‑term sentiment is cautious and volatility may increase around the earnings release. Stock dips ahead of Q2 earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarter missed EPS expectations and the stock carries a high trailing P/E and weak ROE metrics, leaving SBUX sensitive to execution misses and raising expectations for the upcoming print.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total value of $242,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 59,609 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,789,226.08. This trade represents a 4.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Brady Brewer sold 588 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total transaction of $58,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 83,788 shares in the company, valued at $8,378,800. The trade was a 0.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 6,958 shares of company stock worth $667,464 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Starbucks Stock Down 1.2%

Starbucks stock opened at $97.80 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $111.42 billion, a PE ratio of 80.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.95. Starbucks Corporation has a 52-week low of $75.50 and a 52-week high of $104.82. The company's 50 day moving average is $95.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $90.10.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.59 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $9.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.62 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 28.66% and a net margin of 3.63%.Starbucks's quarterly revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.69 earnings per share. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.400 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Starbucks's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 204.96%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Tigress Financial assumed coverage on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $122.00 price objective on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Starbucks from an "underperform" rating to a "hold" rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $86.00 to $92.00 in a report on Monday, April 13th. Evercore restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $99.00 price objective (up from $92.00) on shares of Starbucks in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Monday, December 29th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $104.93.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SBUX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.