B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. Sells 8,849 Shares of Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 30.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 20,656 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 8,849 shares during the quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $1,747,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in SBUX. Game Plan Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Starbucks during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. 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 valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Chelsea Counsel Co. bought a new stake in Starbucks during the second quarter worth $26,000. MTM Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Starbucks during the second quarter worth $28,000. Finally, PFS Partners LLC raised its position in Starbucks by 457.4% in the 3rd quarter. PFS Partners LLC now owns 340 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 279 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently issued reports on SBUX shares. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $110.00 target price (up previously from $95.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Starbucks from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 22nd. Bank of America boosted their target price on Starbucks from $106.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, UBS Group set a $94.00 price target on Starbucks and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Starbucks has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $103.50.

Starbucks Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of SBUX stock opened at $96.33 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $109.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 58.74, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a 50 day moving average of $87.25 and a 200-day moving average of $87.06. Starbucks Corporation has a 12-month low of $75.50 and a 12-month high of $117.46.

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

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued 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 2.6%. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 151.22%.

Trending Headlines about Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CEO execution: Brian Niccol has spent heavily on barista training and store improvements in his first year, which management says should help drive the “Back to Starbucks” recovery and customer experience gains. What Starbucks’s New CEO Has Changed, and What He Says Is Next on His List
• Positive Sentiment: Recent performance highlight: Zacks notes SBUX was a standout in its short-term portfolios, reflecting recent upside momentum that could support a recovery if upcoming results beat expectations. Take the Zacks Approach to Beat the Markets: Drilling Tools, Alcoa & Starbucks in Focus
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst stance: Mizuho bumped its price target to $95 but kept a Neutral rating, signaling limited upside from current levels even after the raise. Starbucks price target raised by Mizuho
• Neutral Sentiment: Volatility priced in: Options traders are pricing an ~8% move around earnings, indicating the market expects a sizable post-report reaction (direction uncertain). That raises near-term risk even if the long-term thesis is intact. Starbucks Is About to Report Q1 Earnings. Options Traders Are Expecting an 8.08% Move in SBUX Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings preview coverage: Multiple outlets preview Starbucks’ earnings release and underline that while sales momentum exists, EPS is expected to decline — making the print a binary catalyst. Starbucks (SBUX) reports earnings tomorrow: What to expect
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings concern: UBS/Proactive coverage warns Q1 EPS is likely to drop despite sales momentum, keeping investor focus on margin recovery and whether the “Back to Starbucks” actions translate to profit. Starbucks set to report drop in earnings for Q1 despite sales momentum
• Negative Sentiment: Market skepticism: Jim Cramer flagged SBUX as “wildly overbought,” suggesting short-term selling pressure if results aren’t “insanely strong.” That commentary can amplify downside on a miss. Jim Cramer on Starbucks: “It Can’t Keep Climbing Unless the Numbers Are Insanely Strong”
• Negative Sentiment: Execution doubts: Critiques about the “four-minute rule” and a Seeking Alpha piece questioning dividend sustainability add to investor wariness about margin recovery and capital returns. The Story Behind the Four-Minute Rule Proves No Help for Starbucks Stock ‘The King Is Naked’: Uncomfortable Truths About Starbucks’ Dividend (Earnings Preview)

Insider Transactions at Starbucks

In other news, Director Jorgen Vig Knudstorp acquired 11,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $85.00 per share, for a total transaction of $994,500.00. Following the purchase, the director 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.09% 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.