Starbucks Corporation $SBUX Shares Sold by Van ECK Associates Corp

Van ECK Associates Corp trimmed its stake in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 97.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 66,863 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 2,253,230 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $6,833,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

Starbucks Stock Up 0.5%

SBUX stock opened at $106.72 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $105.38 and a two-hundred day moving average of $100.98. The stock has a market cap of $121.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 61.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.97. Starbucks Corporation has a 52-week low of $77.99 and a 52-week high of $110.51.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The coffee company reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $9.32 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.17 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 34.10% and a net margin of 5.17%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.50 earnings per share. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.550-2.650 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.64 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th were given a dividend of $0.62 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 142.53%.

Key Starbucks News

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Labor-related court victory reduces legal risk. A U.S. appeals court overturned a National Labor Relations Board ruling involving Starbucks’ restrictions on union-supportive shirts and pins at a Manhattan store. The decision supports the company’s dress-code policy and represents a setback for organized-labor efforts, potentially reducing compliance and litigation risk. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Turnaround momentum is improving. Recent coverage points to accelerating sales, better execution and 7.9% global comparable-sales growth. Starbucks is also pursuing coffeehouse improvements and cost savings, while its $1.8 billion debt repayment should lower financing costs and strengthen balance-sheet flexibility. Motley Fool article Zacks article
• Positive Sentiment: New traffic initiatives could support near-term demand. Starbucks is using nostalgia-oriented marketing and seasonal offerings to encourage visits as it seeks to regain momentum after several difficult years. TheStreet article
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation already reflects much of the recovery. Analysts cited improving comps, higher guidance, margin gains and debt reduction, but rated SBUX “Hold” because its elevated valuation leaves less room for execution misses and remains exposed to macroeconomic and consumer-spending risks. Seeking Alpha article
• Negative Sentiment: Product-safety concerns and intense competition remain overhangs. Starbucks is discontinuing a drink-blending powder after airborne particles reportedly caused coughing and illness complaints from baristas. Meanwhile, rapid expansion by Dutch Bros, Scooter’s and other drive-through coffee brands could pressure traffic and market share. Yahoo Finance article

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.99, for a total value of $236,251.71. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 75,135 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,963,558.65. This represents a 2.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 6,687 shares of company stock valued at $681,663. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $115.00 target price on shares of Starbucks in a report on Friday, July 31st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Starbucks from an “overweight” rating to an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Raymond James Financial lowered Starbucks to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $110.30.

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.