Citizens Jmp assumed coverage on shares of Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX – Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage issued a mkt underperform rating and a $84.00 target price on the coffee company’s stock.
A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on SBUX. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $95.00 price target (up from $90.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $94.00 to $92.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $103.00 target price (up from $100.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, DA Davidson initiated coverage on Starbucks in a report on Friday, March 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $97.00 target price for the company. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $103.07.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Starbucks
Starbucks Price Performance
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 for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.59 by ($0.03). Starbucks had a net margin of 3.63% and a negative return on equity of 28.66%. The business had revenue of $9.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.69 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.400 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Starbucks will post 2.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 588 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total value of $58,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 86,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,601,700. This represents a 0.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total transaction of $242,800.00. Following 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 ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,729 shares of company stock worth $460,974. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Starbucks
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of SBUX. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Starbucks by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 114,410,675 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $9,634,523,000 after buying an additional 971,773 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its position in shares of Starbucks by 11.4% in the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 85,460,350 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $7,229,968,000 after buying an additional 8,774,198 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in shares of Starbucks by 9.0% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 84,727,405 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $7,135,228,000 after acquiring an additional 7,007,268 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 47,869,056 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $4,031,053,000 after acquiring an additional 327,161 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 26,373,084 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $2,212,153,000 after acquiring an additional 225,168 shares during the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Starbucks News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Governance changes and a new Nashville corporate office signal management momentum on the turnaround plan; management said it’s ahead of schedule, which supports confidence in operational execution. Starbucks Governance Shifts And Nashville Office Put Turnaround In Focus
- Positive Sentiment: Brand/marketing activation at Coachella (Unicorn Frappuccino, matcha, cold brew on-site) may help spring traffic and drive social buzz — a near-term comp benefit and PR win. Starbucks to Unleash Unicorn Frappuccino at Coachella
- Neutral Sentiment: Citizens Jmp has initiated coverage on SBUX (new analyst coverage can increase attention and liquidity but impact depends on the view published). Citizens Jmp Begins Coverage on Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX)
- Neutral Sentiment: Articles from Zacks/Yahoo and TipRanks note strong investor interest and a visible turnaround — but several argue much of the improvement may already be priced in, suggesting limited upside absent stronger beat-and-raise results. Is Trending Stock Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) a Buy Now? Is Trending Stock Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) a Buy Now? (Zacks) Starbucks (SBUX) Turnaround Looks Real, but the Easy Money May Be Gone
- Neutral Sentiment: Restaurant-industry moves (e.g., First Watch leadership changes) are background noise for sector trends but not directly material to Starbucks. First Watch cuts its COO
- Negative Sentiment: BNP Paribas Exane’s move to a “strong sell” rating is a notable negative signal from the sell-side and could pressure sentiment/flows if other brokers follow. Zacks.com (BNP Paribas Exane strong sell note)
- Negative Sentiment: Critical analysis pieces argue Starbucks’ financials and valuation leave little margin for error — negative press can weigh on investor confidence until stronger results arrive. Starbucks: The Financial Brew Sours
- Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure: McDonald’s push to capture a large beverage opportunity with expanded McCafé rollouts, plus rivals like Shake Shack building loyalty/tech, could pressure market share or margin over time. Can McDonald’s Tap a $100B Beverage Opportunity in 2026? Shake Shack Leans on Loyalty Program and Tech to Drive Growth
About Starbucks
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.
Further Reading
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