Trust Co. of Vermont Trims Stock Holdings in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Trust Co. of Vermont cut its holdings in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 7.6% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 92,761 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 7,578 shares during the quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $7,811,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of SBUX. Transce3nd LLC raised its position in 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 purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Collier Financial purchased a new position in Starbucks during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Y.D. More Investments Ltd acquired a new position in Starbucks in the third quarter valued at $26,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Starbucks in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. 72.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Starbucks News

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

Starbucks Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of Starbucks stock opened at $90.43 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $103.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 74.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.95. Starbucks Corporation has a 52-week low of $75.50 and a 52-week high of $104.82. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $95.65 and its 200-day simple moving average is $88.90.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.59 by ($0.03). Starbucks had a net margin of 3.63% and a negative return on equity of 28.66%. The firm had revenue of $9.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.62 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.69 EPS. Starbucks’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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.99 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on SBUX shares. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Starbucks from $86.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $110.00 price objective on Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Bank of America set a $114.00 price objective on Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $105.00 target price on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Starbucks has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $103.07.

Insider Activity at Starbucks

In other Starbucks news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 588 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 86,017 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,601,700. This represents a 0.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total value of $242,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 59,609 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,789,226.08. This trade represents a 4.03% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 4,729 shares of company stock valued at $460,974 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

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.