Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC Cuts Stake in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC reduced its position in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 9.4% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 146,495 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 15,229 shares during the quarter. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $13,125,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of SBUX. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Phillip James Consulting Co. bought a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Financial Freedom LLC lifted its position in Starbucks by 296.2% in the 1st quarter. Financial Freedom LLC now owns 313 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Starbucks

In other Starbucks news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.00, for a total value of $231,816.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 77,364 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,045,856. This represents a 2.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total value of $210,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 57,653 shares in the company, valued at $6,053,565. The trade was a 3.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 8,687 shares of company stock worth $889,033. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have commented on SBUX shares. TD Cowen upgraded Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the company from $106.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Starbucks from $112.00 to $117.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $108.00 price target (up from $101.00) on shares of Starbucks in a report on Tuesday. Dbs Bank raised Starbucks from a “strong sell” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Starbucks from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $109.42.

Starbucks Trading Down 2.7%

NASDAQ:SBUX opened at $105.49 on Friday. Starbucks Corporation has a 12 month low of $77.99 and a 12 month high of $109.23. The company has a market cap of $120.23 billion, a PE ratio of 79.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $102.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $97.83.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $9.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.17 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 29.24% and a net margin of 3.89%.The company’s revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.41 EPS. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $0.62 per share. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio is 187.88%.

Starbucks News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: RBC said Starbucks’ fiscal Q3 North America same-store sales are likely to come in line with consensus, which could reassure investors that the U.S. business is stabilizing. Starbucks Fiscal Q3 North America Same-Store Sales Poised to be In-Line With Consensus, RBC Says
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary remains generally constructive, with several recent firms reiterating buy or overweight ratings and price targets clustering around levels near or above the current share price. Analysts’ Opinions Are Mixed on These Consumer Cyclical Stocks: Starbucks (SBUX), Airbnb (ABNB) and Silgan Holdings (SLGN)
• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks’ reaffirmed dividend and efforts to cut software costs by building more of its own tools with AI may support margins over time. What Starbucks (SBUX)’s Dividend Affirmation and Software Cost Cuts Mean For Shareholders
• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks recently said it will release fiscal Q3 2026 results on July 29, keeping attention focused on a potential catalyst for the shares. Starbucks Announces Q3 Fiscal Year 2026 Results Conference Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Starbucks’ earnings preview suggests investors are waiting for confirmation that traffic, loyalty trends, and the “Back to Starbucks” turnaround plan are still improving. Earnings Preview: What To Expect From Starbucks’ Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Reuters reported that Starbucks defeated a shareholder lawsuit tied to sales declines in the U.S. and China, removing one legal overhang but not changing the core growth debate. Starbucks defeats shareholder lawsuit over US, China sales declines
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage highlights that opinions on Starbucks remain mixed, reflecting uncertainty about the pace of the turnaround and whether sales momentum can fully reaccelerate. Starbucks vs. McDonald’s: Which Restaurant Stock Has the Edge Now?

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.