Nuveen LLC Sells 908,436 Shares of Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Nuveen LLC lowered its position in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 8.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,132,070 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 908,436 shares during the quarter. Nuveen LLC’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $853,222,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Starbucks by 0.5% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 113,438,902 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $9,596,931,000 after purchasing an additional 577,279 shares during the period. Compass Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Starbucks by 33.5% during the third quarter. Compass Wealth Management LLC now owns 79,193 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $6,700,000 after purchasing an additional 19,877 shares during the period. Oak Thistle LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the fourth quarter worth $1,149,000. Czech National Bank grew its stake in shares of Starbucks by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 299,833 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $25,249,000 after purchasing an additional 11,135 shares during the period. Finally, Goodman Financial Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the fourth quarter worth $8,811,000. Institutional investors own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Starbucks Trading Up 3.6%

NASDAQ:SBUX opened at $102.28 on Friday. Starbucks Corporation has a 1 year low of $77.99 and a 1 year high of $108.88. The stock has a market cap of $116.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 77.49, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.98. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $100.02 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $94.59.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.06. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 29.24% and a net margin of 3.89%.The firm had revenue of $9.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.41 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. Starbucks’s payout ratio is presently 187.88%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SBUX has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley raised Starbucks from an “overweight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut Starbucks from a “sector perform” rating to a “positive” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $117.00 price objective on Starbucks and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $107.93.

More Starbucks News

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks is reportedly evaluating a sale or IPO-style transaction for its Japan operations, a move that could unlock value from one of its most important overseas markets and free up capital for other priorities. Starbucks Evaluates Sale and IPO Options for Japanese Operations (SBUX)
• Positive Sentiment: Additional reports said Starbucks has held early discussions with investment banks about strategic options in Japan, reinforcing speculation that management may take another asset-light step similar to its recent China ownership changes. Starbucks mulls options for Japan business, including stake sale
• Positive Sentiment: Business headlines also pointed to ongoing operational momentum, including stronger U.S. comparable-store sales, rising transactions across income groups, and improving operating income, which supports the view that the turnaround is gaining traction. Starbucks eyes massive change in key market
• Positive Sentiment: Investor enthusiasm was also reflected in unusually heavy call-option buying, a sign that some traders are positioning for further upside in SBUX. Starbucks eyes massive change in Japan
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Brady Brewer disclosed a pre-arranged share sale under a 10b5-1 trading plan, which is routine and not necessarily a bearish signal, but it can create modest headline noise. SEC filing

Insider Transactions at Starbucks

In other Starbucks news, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,000 shares of the business’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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,053,565. The trade was a 3.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.81, for a total value of $233,621.49. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 81,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,548,198.79. This represents a 2.66% 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. Over the last three months, insiders sold 8,099 shares of company stock valued at $804,907. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

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.