Nuveen LLC Has $853.22 Million Holdings in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Key Points

• Nuveen LLC reduced its Starbucks stake by 8.2% in the fourth quarter, but still held 10.13 million shares worth about $853.2 million as of its latest SEC filing.
• Wall Street sentiment on Starbucks remains broadly positive, with analysts assigning an overall “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $107.93. TD Cowen and Jefferies both issued bullish moves, while BNP Paribas Exane remained bearish.
• Starbucks reported better-than-expected quarterly results, including $0.50 EPS versus $0.44 expected and revenue of $9.53 billion, while also signaling FY2026 EPS guidance of $2.25 to $2.45. The article also notes ongoing speculation that Starbucks may explore strategic options for its Japan business.

Nuveen LLC lessened its position in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) by 8.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,132,070 shares of the coffee company's stock after selling 908,436 shares during the quarter. Nuveen LLC owned approximately 0.89% of Starbucks worth $853,222,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 114,410,675 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $9,634,523,000 after purchasing an additional 971,773 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors grew its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 85,460,350 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $7,229,968,000 after purchasing an additional 8,774,198 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 9.0% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 84,727,405 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $7,135,228,000 after purchasing an additional 7,007,268 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 26,373,084 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $2,212,153,000 after purchasing an additional 225,168 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors lifted its position in shares of Starbucks by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 15,758,440 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $1,327,245,000 after buying an additional 1,066,668 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.29% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on SBUX. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. They set an "underperform" rating for the company. TD Cowen upgraded Starbucks from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their target price for the stock from $106.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. DA Davidson raised their target price on Starbucks from $97.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $117.00 target price on Starbucks and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $107.93.

Insider Buying and Selling at Starbucks

In other Starbucks news, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,000 shares of Starbucks stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total value of $210,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 57,653 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,053,565. The trade was a 3.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of Starbucks stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.81, for a total value of $233,621.49. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 81,559 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,548,198.79. The trade was a 2.66% 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. In the last quarter, insiders sold 8,099 shares of company stock valued at $804,907. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Starbucks Stock Performance

Shares of SBUX opened at $102.28 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $100.02 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $94.59. Starbucks Corporation has a 52-week low of $77.99 and a 52-week high of $108.88. The company has a market cap of $116.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 77.49, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.98.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) 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 the consensus estimate of $9.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.41 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were given a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Starbucks's payout ratio is presently 187.88%.

Key Headlines Impacting Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks is reportedly evaluating a sale or IPO-style transaction for its Japan operations, a move that could unlock value from one of its most important overseas markets and free up capital for other priorities. Starbucks Evaluates Sale and IPO Options for Japanese Operations (SBUX)
• Positive Sentiment: Additional reports said Starbucks has held early discussions with investment banks about strategic options in Japan, reinforcing speculation that management may take another asset-light step similar to its recent China ownership changes. Starbucks mulls options for Japan business, including stake sale
• Positive Sentiment: Business headlines also pointed to ongoing operational momentum, including stronger U.S. comparable-store sales, rising transactions across income groups, and improving operating income, which supports the view that the turnaround is gaining traction. Starbucks eyes massive change in key market
• Positive Sentiment: Investor enthusiasm was also reflected in unusually heavy call-option buying, a sign that some traders are positioning for further upside in SBUX. Starbucks eyes massive change in Japan
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Brady Brewer disclosed a pre-arranged share sale under a 10b5-1 trading plan, which is routine and not necessarily a bearish signal, but it can create modest headline noise. SEC filing

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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