Starbucks Corporation $SBUX Shares Sold by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) by 15.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,528,856 shares of the coffee company's stock after selling 467,118 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.22% of Starbucks worth $212,955,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position 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 during the period. Capital Research Global Investors raised its position 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 during the period. Capital World Investors raised its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 1,462,874 shares during the period. Capital International Investors raised its position in shares of 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 during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of Starbucks by 6.5% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 13,590,494 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $1,149,756,000 after purchasing an additional 832,540 shares during the period. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Starbucks Stock Performance

Shares of SBUX stock opened at $104.94 on Wednesday. The business's fifty day moving average is $96.68 and its 200-day moving average is $91.25. The stock has a market cap of $119.56 billion, a PE ratio of 79.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.01. Starbucks Corporation has a 1 year low of $77.99 and a 1 year high of $107.52.

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 the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $9.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.17 billion. Starbucks had a net margin of 3.89% and a negative return on equity of 29.24%. The business's revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.41 EPS. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on SBUX. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $112.00 to $117.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Evercore increased their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Starbucks currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $106.93.

Key Stories Impacting Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks posted a beat on the quarter and raised fiscal guidance, giving investors confidence in forward EPS outlook. 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 — a key operational inflection that supports revenue momentum and margin recovery. Brian Niccol Earned the ‘Retail Messi’ Nickname: Starbucks Same-Store Sales Jump 6.2% After 7 Quarters of Decline
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile bullish coverage (including Jim Cramer and other commentators) and Wall Street praise for Niccol’s turnaround helped investor sentiment. Jim Cramer Big, Explosive Prediction About Starbucks (SBUX)
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention spiked — Zacks notes heavy search activity on SBUX, signaling increased retail/institutional interest but not a directional read. Investors Heavily Search Starbucks Corporation (SBUX): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst Q&A from the earnings call raised detailed operational questions (pricing elasticity, loyalty growth, international trends) — important for modeling but mixed near‑term impact. 5 revealing analyst questions from Starbucks’s Q1 earnings call
• Negative Sentiment: CEO remarks framing a high‑end “$9” cup as an affordable splurge triggered social media criticism and some sell‑side/retail nervousness about pricing perception. Starbucks CEO gets roasted for $9 ‘premium experience’ remarks, but Wall Street toasts his tariff-era turnaround strategy
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary and personal‑finance pieces encourage cutting back on Starbucks purchases, highlighting the risk of negative consumer reaction to higher prices. Ditch Starbucks and DoorDash, George Kamel Says. How Cheap Appliances Can Replace Your Takeout Budget

Insider Activity at Starbucks

In other news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 1,641 shares of Starbucks stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total value of $159,373.92. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 86,605 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,411,077.60. The trade was a 1.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of Starbucks stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was 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 owned 59,609 shares in the company, valued at $5,789,226.08. The trade was a 4.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 8,958 shares of company stock worth $877,464 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

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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