Starbucks Corporation $SBUX Shares Sold by Kentucky Retirement Systems

Kentucky Retirement Systems lessened its stake in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 12.9% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 62,218 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 9,193 shares during the quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems’ holdings in Starbucks were worth $5,574,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Phillip James Consulting Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Starbucks in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their price objective on Starbucks from $87.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Scotiabank cut Starbucks from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Robert W. Baird set a $124.00 price target on Starbucks in a research note on Thursday. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $110.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $108.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Eighteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Starbucks currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $112.04.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.00, for a total value of $231,816.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 77,364 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,045,856. The trade was a 2.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 6,687 shares of company stock worth $679,033. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Starbucks Stock Performance

SBUX stock opened at $105.85 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $102.19 and its 200 day moving average price is $99.04. The firm has a market cap of $120.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.83, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.98. Starbucks Corporation has a 1 year low of $77.99 and a 1 year high of $109.23.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The coffee company reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.19. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 33.44% and a net margin of 5.17%.The company had revenue of $9.32 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.50 earnings per share. Starbucks’s revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.550-2.650 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The business 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 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 142.53%.

Key Stories Impacting Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks reported adjusted Q3 earnings of $0.85 per share, well above the $0.66 analyst consensus, while revenue of $9.32 billion also exceeded expectations. Adjusted EPS increased sharply from $0.50 a year earlier. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Global comparable-store sales rose 7.9%, beating the 5.7% expectation, driven primarily by a 4.2% increase in transactions. North American revenue reportedly climbed 7% to $7.4 billion, reinforcing the view that traffic—not merely higher prices—is powering the recovery. Starbucks Q3 results
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.55-$2.65, from $2.25-$2.45, and now expects full-year global comparable sales growth of approximately 6%. Expanding margins and faster service are supporting investor confidence in the turnaround. Starbucks turnaround and outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst reactions were generally supportive: TD Cowen reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $120 target, while Wells Fargo raised its target to $125 and Morgan Stanley lifted its target to $115. Starbucks is also testing carbonated versions of its Refreshers, expanding its non-coffee product lineup for younger consumers. Starbucks carbonated Refreshers
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinions remain mixed. UBS, Citigroup and DA Davidson raised targets to $112, $112 and $110 while maintaining neutral ratings; Wolfe Research kept a Hold rating. BNP Paribas Exane raised its target to $92 but retained an Underperform rating, citing limited upside.
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the operational improvement, revenue declined 1.4% year over year, partly reflecting the China joint-venture structure, and the shares trade at a high valuation after their recent rally. That valuation leaves less room for execution missteps or a slowdown in comparable sales 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.