Third View Private Wealth LLC Makes New Investment in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Key Points

• Third View Private Wealth LLC initiated a new position in Starbucks, buying 37,229 shares valued at about $3.135 million, while institutional investors now own roughly 72.29% of the company.
• Starbucks closed the sale of control of its China unit to Boyu, shifting to a franchised model that analysts view as a de‑risking move and helped prompt Jefferies to upgrade SBUX to a Hold.
• Recent results were mixed: Starbucks reported $0.56 EPS (missing estimates) and $9.92B revenue (beat), set FY2026 guidance of 2.15–2.40 EPS, and the stock trades near $97 with a PE of ~80.56 and an average analyst target of about $103.67.

Third View Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 37,229 shares of the coffee company's stock, valued at approximately $3,135,000.

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

Starbucks News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks closed the deal to sell control of its China unit to Boyu, shifting China to a franchised/partnered model — investors see this as a de‑risking step that reduces capital intensity and exposure in a challenging market. Starbucks Sells Control of China Unit to Boyu in Growth Push, Reuters Reports
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies upgraded SBUX to Hold (from Underperform), citing early signs of stabilization in the U.S. business and the reduced international risk profile after the China JV — a direct catalyst for today's buying. Starbucks' China franchise deal improves visibility into turnaround -- Jefferies
• Neutral Sentiment: While upgraded, Jefferies raised its price target only to $92 (from $86) — still below the current share price — suggesting the firm sees improved risk but limited near‑term upside at SBUX's current valuation. Jefferies Upgrades Starbucks to Hold as China Franchise Exit and U.S. Stabilization Improve Visibility
• Negative Sentiment: Competition for cold, fruit‑forward beverages is increasing as McDonald’s rolls out new fruit‑flavored drinks — a headwind for Starbucks’ growing cold‑drink mix and traffic trends. The Battle Over Refreshers Heats Up as McDonald’s Enters the Mix
• Negative Sentiment: Starbucks reported mounting losses in its UK business and cited higher minimum wages and taxes as contributing factors — a reminder that labor and regulatory costs remain a margin risk in certain markets. Starbucks blames minimum wage and taxes for mounting losses

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SBUX has been the subject of several recent research reports. Zacks Research raised Starbucks from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. BNP Paribas Exane raised Starbucks to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Barclays set a $116.00 target price on Starbucks and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group raised Starbucks from an "underperform" rating to a "hold" rating and raised their target price for the stock from $86.00 to $92.00 in a research note on Monday. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $103.67.

Starbucks Price Performance

SBUX stock opened at $97.48 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $111.06 billion, a PE ratio of 80.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.95. The company's 50-day moving average is $95.67 and its 200-day moving average is $89.53. Starbucks Corporation has a 1 year low of $75.50 and a 1 year high of $104.82.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $9.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.62 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 28.66% and a net margin of 3.63%.Starbucks's revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.69 EPS. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.400 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Starbucks

In other Starbucks news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 1,641 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $8,411,077.60. This represents a 1.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 approximately $5,789,226.08. The trade was a 4.03% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 6,370 shares of company stock worth $608,664. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

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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