Baillie Gifford & Co. Sells 28,654 Shares of Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Baillie Gifford & Co. decreased its position in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 4.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 687,220 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 28,654 shares during the quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. owned approximately 0.06% of Starbucks worth $58,139,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of Starbucks by 86.5% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 176,722 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $16,126,000 after purchasing an additional 81,952 shares during the last quarter. CX Institutional increased its position in Starbucks by 5.3% in the 2nd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 8,287 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $759,000 after buying an additional 420 shares during the period. Kathmere Capital Management LLC increased its position in Starbucks by 12.7% in the 2nd quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 2,884 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $264,000 after buying an additional 325 shares during the period. Patton Fund Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks during the second quarter worth approximately $241,000. Finally, Cove Private Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Starbucks by 22.7% in the second quarter. Cove Private Wealth LLC now owns 4,236 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $388,000 after acquiring an additional 784 shares during the period. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on SBUX shares. Citigroup upgraded shares of Starbucks from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Starbucks from $106.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Starbucks from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 22nd. Zacks Research lowered shares of Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $84.00 target price on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Starbucks has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $103.15.

Starbucks Stock Performance

NASDAQ:SBUX opened at $97.62 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $111.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 59.52, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a 50-day moving average of $87.00 and a 200-day moving average of $87.11. Starbucks Corporation has a 52 week low of $75.50 and a 52 week high of $117.46.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The coffee company reported $0.52 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $9.57 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.41 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 31.32% and a net margin of 4.99%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.80 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.99 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. Starbucks’s payout ratio is currently 151.22%.

Key Stories Impacting Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BofA raised its price target to $114, signaling stronger analyst conviction in Starbucks’ outlook and providing an immediate valuation tailwind for the shares. Bank of America Boosts Starbucks Price Target to $114
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG reaffirmed a “buy” rating with a $105 target, adding to analyst support that helps sustain recent investor momentum. BTIG Reaffirms Buy on Starbucks
• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks announced an Investor Day for Jan. 29 where management (CEO Brian Niccol and CFO Cathy Smith) will unveil long-term strategy and answer questions — a catalyst that can reset investor expectations if management provides credible margin or growth targets. Starbucks to Host 2026 Investor Day
• Positive Sentiment: Operational initiatives — described as “coffeehouse coaches” — are being credited with improving store execution and easing labor tensions, a constructive sign for same-store sales and throughput. Coffeehouse Coaches Give Starbucks Stock a Boost
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media coverage notes a strong year-to-date rally in SBUX; coverage frames the move as momentum ahead of earnings rather than a confirmed turnaround. This buoyancy can attract momentum traders but raises expectations. Starbucks Huge 2026 Rally
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks previews ahead of Q1 earnings provide consensus estimates and key metrics to watch (traffic, AUVs, margin trends); these previews are informational but underscore that results will be the immediate catalyst. Ahead of Starbucks Q1 Earnings: Estimates for Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets flag that while traffic and sales are stabilizing, EPS pressure from costs and a premium valuation leave little room for disappointment at the upcoming report. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold Before Q1 Earnings?
• Negative Sentiment: A local “cup kerfuffle” in Tucson drew negative headlines and briefly raised reputational and operational risk questions; while the incident hasn’t halted the rally, it shows headline risk still exists for a consumer-facing brand. Another Cup Kerfuffle Hits Starbucks in Tucson
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader analyst commentary discusses shifting price targets and fair-value assumptions — useful context but not an immediate operational driver. How Changing Analyst Stories Shape Starbucks Price Targets

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Jorgen Vig Knudstorp purchased 11,700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 10th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $85.00 per share, for a total transaction of $994,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 53,096 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,513,160. The trade was a 28.26% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.