Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) Shares Unloaded Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) recently sold shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX). In a filing disclosed on February 04th, the Senator disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Starbucks stock on January 9th.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Home Depot (NYSE:HD) on 1/9/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) on 1/9/2026.
• Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) on 1/9/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Guardant Health (NASDAQ:GH) on 11/21/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Hershey (NYSE:HSY) on 11/21/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of CocaCola (NYSE:KO) on 11/21/2025.

Starbucks Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ SBUX opened at $96.97 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $88.60 and a 200 day moving average of $87.14. The firm has a market cap of $110.48 billion, a PE ratio of 80.14, a PEG ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.96. Starbucks Corporation has a one year low of $75.50 and a one year high of $117.46.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.59 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $9.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.62 billion. Starbucks had a net margin of 3.63% and a negative return on equity of 28.66%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.69 earnings per share. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.400 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 204.96%.

Key Starbucks News

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary highlight sizable domestic growth runway — multiple pieces discuss whether Starbucks can add ~10,000 more U.S. locations, supporting long-term revenue growth expectations. Can Starbucks Open Another 10,000 Stores in the U.S.?
• Positive Sentiment: Management is simplifying the menu and trimming items — a move investors view as margin-accretive by lowering complexity and labor/cost pressure. Starbucks Savages Menu, Starbucks Stock (NASDAQ:SBUX) Gains
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage and earnings commentary point to a recovery in the fiscal Q1 sales trend — investors expect profitability to reaccelerate as comps normalize and new-store economics improve. Investors Are Piling Into This Stock That’s Up 28,000% Since Its IPO. Can It Soar in 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Union activity remains in the headlines — calls like “delete the app” from strikers are creating noise, but the initial market reaction has been mixed, not uniformly negative. Investors will watch customer engagement and sales trends closely. “Delete the App”: Strikers Call on Customers to Help Advance Union, Starbucks Stock (NASDAQ:SBUX) Jumps in Response
• Neutral Sentiment: Starbucks is a trending/screened stock in retail investor and research sites — more attention can amplify moves but doesn’t itself change fundamentals. Here is What to Know Beyond Why Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst notes and sector write-ups provide context but offer mixed takes on timing and catalysts; they add background rather than a clear near-term directional trigger. Analysts Offer Insights on Consumer Cyclical Companies: Starbucks (SBUX)…
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup issued a pessimistic price forecast for SBUX, which can pressure sentiment and act as a sell-side headwind if other firms follow. Citigroup Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: A new STOCK Act disclosure shows Senator Sheldon Whitehouse sold SBUX shares — insider/related-party sales can be interpreted negatively by some investors, even if sales have non-fundamental reasons. Congress Trade: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse Just Disclosed New Stock Trades

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on SBUX shares. Wall Street Zen raised Starbucks from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $113.00 target price on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. TD Cowen restated 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. Barclays set a $116.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $105.00 target price on shares of Starbucks and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Eighteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $104.67.

Insider Transactions at Starbucks

In other Starbucks news, Director Jorgen Vig Knudstorp purchased 11,700 shares of Starbucks stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $85.00 per share, with a total value of $994,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 53,096 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,513,160. This trade represents a 28.26% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Starbucks

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Game Plan Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Starbucks in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Transce3nd LLC raised its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 270.3% in the 2nd quarter. Transce3nd LLC now owns 274 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Finally, Y.D. More Investments Ltd purchased a new position in Starbucks during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

About Senator Whitehouse

Sheldon Whitehouse (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Rhode Island. He assumed office on January 3, 2007. His current term ends on January 3, 2031.

Whitehouse (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Rhode Island. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

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.