Vanguard Group Inc. Buys 971,773 Shares of Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Key Points

• Vanguard Group increased its stake in Starbucks by 0.9%, buying 971,773 shares to own 114,410,675 shares — a 10.06% position valued at roughly $9.63 billion.
• Starbucks missed Q results on EPS ($0.56 vs. $0.59 consensus) while beating on revenue ($9.92B vs. $9.62B) and set FY2026 EPS guidance of 2.150–2.400 (analysts expect ~2.31).
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.62 (annualized $2.48, yield 2.5%) despite a high payout ratio of 204.96%, and insiders have sold 6,958 shares (~$667,464) in the past 90 days.

Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) by 0.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 114,410,675 shares of the coffee company's stock after buying an additional 971,773 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 10.06% of Starbucks worth $9,634,523,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of SBUX. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its position in Starbucks by 3.2% during the third 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 period. Providence Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the third quarter worth $6,099,000. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. grew its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 16,428 shares during the period. Allstate Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the third quarter valued at about $3,491,000. Finally, GAM Holding AG purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the third quarter valued at about $1,811,000. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Starbucks Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of SBUX opened at $98.67 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $112.41 billion, a PE ratio of 81.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.95. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $96.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $90.41. Starbucks Corporation has a 12-month low of $75.50 and a 12-month high of $104.82.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX - Get Free Report) last announced 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). Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 28.66% and a net margin of 3.63%.The business had revenue of $9.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.69 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.400 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SBUX has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research raised shares of Starbucks from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Monday, March 9th. They set a "peer perform" rating on the stock. TD Cowen reissued a "hold" rating and set a $89.00 price target (up from $84.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $110.00 target price on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Sixteen 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $104.75.

More Starbucks News

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Stifel raised its price target to $115 (from $105) and reiterated a Buy ahead of the April 28 report — a clear vote of confidence that supports near-term upside expectations. Stifel Boosts Starbucks (SBUX) Target, Sees Earnings In Line with Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target and kept an Overweight rating, reinforcing momentum from recent analyst upgrades that have helped lift sentiment into earnings. JPMorgan Raises Price Target on Starbucks
• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks unveiled a new AI platform that management and analysts say could expand personalization, speed service and attract new customers — a strategic catalyst investors view as extending long-term growth and margin opportunities. Starbucks Reveals Groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence (AI) Platform
• Positive Sentiment: Changes to the loyalty program are drawing value-seeking customers (higher redemptions of the new $2-off option), which could help traffic and comps if sustained. Starbucks' loyalty program changes are drawing value-conscious customers
• Positive Sentiment: Operational moves — paring back some tech roles, planning global tech hubs to bring work in-house and cut costs — are being framed as margin-improvement actions by investors. Starbucks Brewing up Global Tech Plan to Bring Jobs Back in-House and Slash Costs
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street previews (Zacks/Seeking Alpha) note potential “Back to Starbucks” progress and menu innovation but also flag seasonal margin pressures and cost headwinds — these create earnings risk/reward ambiguity ahead of Q2. Starbucks to Post Q2 Earnings: What's in the Cards for the Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Nestlé extended its K-Cup alliance for Starbucks-branded pods in North America — a steady revenue stream for at-home coffee but likely modest near-term impact on store-level results. Nestlé Extends Starbucks K Cup Alliance
• Negative Sentiment: DA Davidson issued a Neutral rating, reflecting lingering skepticism from some shops; mixed analyst views can cap upside entering earnings. Starbucks Earns "Neutral" Rating from DA Davidson
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from rivals (e.g., Dutch Bros, Dunkin’) and questions about store footprint strategy (shift to exurbs, drive-thru focus) may pressure margins and same-store-sales in some markets. Starbucks rival challenges coffee giant's dominance

Insider Buying and Selling at Starbucks

In related news, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,789,226.08. The trade was a 4.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Brady Brewer sold 1,641 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total transaction of $159,373.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 6,958 shares of company stock valued at $667,464 in the last ninety days. 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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