Virtu Financial LLC Makes New $2.93 Million Investment in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Key Points

• Virtu Financial opened a new position in Starbucks during the fourth quarter, buying 34,768 shares valued at about $2.93 million.
• Other institutional investors also increased their Starbucks holdings, and institutions now own 72.29% of the company, highlighting continued Wall Street interest in the stock.
• Starbucks has mixed near-term signals: analysts remain mostly positive with a Moderate Buy consensus and $107.93 average target, while the company also reported strong quarterly results and announced a $0.62 quarterly dividend.

Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 34,768 shares of the coffee company's stock, valued at approximately $2,928,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in Starbucks by 86.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 176,722 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $16,126,000 after buying an additional 81,952 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its holdings in Starbucks by 47.0% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 3,642 shares of the coffee company's stock valued at $334,000 after acquiring an additional 1,164 shares during the period. Flow Traders U.S. LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the second quarter worth $288,000. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lifted its position in shares of Starbucks by 92.8% during the second quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 5,225 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $479,000 after acquiring an additional 2,515 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 7.6% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 112,710 shares of the coffee company's stock worth $10,328,000 after acquiring an additional 7,978 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 72.29% of the company's stock.

Starbucks News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks is accelerating expansion in India, with plans to open about 100 new stores a year. That suggests management still sees strong long-term demand in a key international market and reinforces the company’s global growth story. Starbucks Plans Faster India Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Retail-sales data continued to look solid, and Starbucks was highlighted as one of the stocks that could benefit from robust consumer demand and improving earnings expectations. 5 Stocks to Grab as Retail Sales Continue to Surge on Robust Demand
• Positive Sentiment: Another market piece also flagged Starbucks among names to watch as retail sales stay resilient, which can support the stock by signaling that consumer spending on coffee and drinks remains healthy. 5 Stocks to Grab as Retail Sales Continue to Surge on Robust Demand
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage around Starbucks’s store closures suggests the company is pursuing a broader reset, trimming some locations while investing in café upgrades and operational changes. Investors may view this as a long-term brand refresh, but it also shows the turnaround is still in progress. The Real Reason Starbucks Is Closing Stores
• Negative Sentiment: Recent trading updates noted Starbucks underperformed peers and fell on the prior session, reflecting some near-term pressure despite the longer-term growth narrative. Starbucks Corp. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary focused on Starbucks trading lower versus the broader market, which may have weighed on sentiment heading into today. Starbucks (SBUX) Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market: Some Facts to Know

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on SBUX. DA Davidson lifted their price target on Starbucks from $97.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Guggenheim reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $97.00 price objective (up from $95.00) on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. TD Cowen raised Starbucks from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their target price for the company from $106.00 to $120.00 in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $110.00 price target on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $107.93.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,000 shares of the company's 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 directly owned 57,653 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,053,565. This represents a 3.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Brady Brewer sold 588 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total transaction of $58,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 79,593 shares in the company, valued at $7,959,300. This represents a 0.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 ninety days, insiders sold 8,687 shares of company stock worth $863,707. Insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Starbucks Price Performance

SBUX opened at $100.65 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $114.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 76.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.98. Starbucks Corporation has a one year low of $77.99 and a one year high of $108.88. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $100.93 and a 200-day moving average price of $95.13.

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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $9.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.17 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 29.24% and a net margin of 3.89%.The firm's revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.41 earnings per share. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. 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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