Vertrix Wealth Management LLC Takes Position in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Key Points

• Vertrix Wealth Management LLC opened a new position in Starbucks during the first quarter, buying 32,548 shares worth about $2.9 million.
• Starbucks reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $0.50 versus $0.44 expected and revenue of $9.53 billion versus $9.17 billion estimated. The company also reaffirmed FY2026 EPS guidance of 2.25 to 2.45.
• Sentiment is mixed: Starbucks declared a $0.62 quarterly dividend and analysts still rate the stock a Moderate Buy, but Zacks downgraded it to hold and insiders have recently sold shares.

Vertrix Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 32,548 shares of the coffee company's stock, valued at approximately $2,916,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. NWF Advisory Services Inc. raised its stake in Starbucks by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. NWF Advisory Services Inc. now owns 4,349 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $366,000 after buying an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Aerodigm Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Starbucks by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Aerodigm Wealth LLC now owns 4,245 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $357,000 after buying an additional 112 shares during the period. River Street Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Starbucks by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. River Street Advisors LLC now owns 13,516 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $1,138,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV boosted its position in Starbucks by 38.2% during the fourth quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 409 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Integrity Alliance LLC. boosted its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Integrity Alliance LLC. now owns 3,907 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $329,000 after buying an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on SBUX. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $112.00 to $117.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. DA Davidson raised their target price on shares of Starbucks from $97.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Starbucks in a report on Monday, March 9th. They issued a "peer perform" rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Evercore increased their price objective on Starbucks from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $108.92.

Key Headlines Impacting Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.62 per share, reinforcing its commitment to returning capital to shareholders and signaling confidence in cash generation. Starbucks Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlights Starbucks’ plan to build smaller-format U.S. stores and expand its “third place” strategy, which could improve store density, customer traffic, and long-term brand relevance. Starbucks (SBUX) Is Building Smaller Stores To Deepen Its U.S. Footprint
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain focused on whether Starbucks can offset North America margin pressure in the second half of fiscal 2026, with easing coffee, tariff, and cost pressures viewed as important but not yet fully resolved. Can Starbucks Offset North America Margin Pressure in 2H FY26?
• Neutral Sentiment: Starbucks is also being viewed as part of the functional drinks and wellness trend, with protein coffee and other menu innovations potentially supporting traffic and check size over time. Starbucks Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded Starbucks from strong-buy to hold, which can weigh on sentiment and suggests less upside in the near term. Zacks.com
• Negative Sentiment: Separate coverage says Starbucks’ South Korea troubles are still creating headlines, adding to concerns that marketing missteps and international execution issues could continue to pressure the stock. Starbucks’ South Korea Troubles Continue With Baseball Team, Starbucks Stock NASDAQ: SBUX Dips

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total value of $210,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 57,653 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,053,565. This represents a 3.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.81, for a total transaction of $233,621.49. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 81,559 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,548,198.79. This represents a 2.66% 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. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 8,687 shares of company stock valued at $863,707. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Starbucks Price Performance

Shares of SBUX opened at $103.39 on Thursday. The company's fifty day moving average price is $101.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $96.26. Starbucks Corporation has a 1-year low of $77.99 and a 1-year high of $108.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $117.83 billion, a PE ratio of 78.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.98.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.06. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 29.24% and a net margin of 3.89%.The company had revenue of $9.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.41 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Starbucks's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 187.88%.

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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