Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) Stock Rating Upgraded by BNP Paribas Exane

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) was upgraded by investment analysts at BNP Paribas Exane to a “strong sell” rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on SBUX. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Starbucks from $94.00 to $92.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Barclays set a $116.00 price target on shares of Starbucks and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a report on Friday, January 30th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Starbucks currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $103.07.

Starbucks Stock Performance

NASDAQ:SBUX opened at $89.59 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $102.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 74.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.93. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $95.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $88.89. Starbucks has a 52-week low of $75.50 and a 52-week high of $104.82.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.59 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $9.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.62 billion. Starbucks had a net margin of 3.63% and a negative return on equity of 28.66%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.69 earnings per share. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.400 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Starbucks will post 2.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Starbucks

In related news, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 59,609 shares in the company, valued at $5,789,226.08. This trade represents a 4.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Brady Brewer sold 1,641 shares of Starbucks stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total transaction of $159,373.92. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 86,605 shares in the company, valued at $8,411,077.60. The trade was a 1.86% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 4,729 shares of company stock worth $460,974. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Starbucks

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Transce3nd LLC boosted its position in shares of Starbucks by 270.3% during the second quarter. Transce3nd LLC now owns 274 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Collier Financial acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Finally, Phillip James Consulting Co. acquired a new stake in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Institutional investors own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Starbucks News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Investors re‑elected Starbucks’ full board, rejecting a labor‑backed challenge — a win for management continuity and de‑risking near‑term governance uncertainty. Starbucks investors reelect full board, rejecting labor-backed challenge
• Positive Sentiment: CEO and management say the turnaround is showing results in store experience and operational metrics, reinforcing the case that recent initiatives are working. Starbucks Says The Turnaround Is Showing Up
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholders approved governance changes (including simpler majority voting), which reduces shareholder‑action uncertainty and can speed strategic execution. Starbucks Shareholders Approve Governance Changes at 2026 Meeting
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysis warns the turnaround looks real but much of the improvement may already be reflected in the stock, suggesting limited near‑term upside absent stronger execution or earnings beats. Starbucks (SBUX) Turnaround Looks Real, but the Easy Money May Be Gone
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro pressure — notably higher gasoline prices — could reduce drive‑thru visits industry‑wide and blunt traffic growth for locations reliant on drive‑thru channels. High Gas Prices May Prompt Consumers to Reduce Drive-Thru Visits, Research Shows
• Negative Sentiment: Citizens JMP initiated coverage with a “market underperform” rating and an $84 price target, signaling near‑term downside risk versus current levels. Citizens Jmp sets mkt underperform on SBUX

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.