Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-eight ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have issued a hold recommendation and eighteen have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $104.6667.

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Starbucks from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $90.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Wall Street Zen raised Starbucks from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $110.00 price target on Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th.

Trending Headlines about Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary highlight sizable domestic growth runway — multiple pieces discuss whether Starbucks can add ~10,000 more U.S. locations, supporting long-term revenue growth expectations. Can Starbucks Open Another 10,000 Stores in the U.S.?
• Positive Sentiment: Management is simplifying the menu and trimming items — a move investors view as margin-accretive by lowering complexity and labor/cost pressure. Starbucks Savages Menu, Starbucks Stock (NASDAQ:SBUX) Gains
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage and earnings commentary point to a recovery in the fiscal Q1 sales trend — investors expect profitability to reaccelerate as comps normalize and new-store economics improve. Investors Are Piling Into This Stock That’s Up 28,000% Since Its IPO. Can It Soar in 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Union activity remains in the headlines — calls like “delete the app” from strikers are creating noise, but the initial market reaction has been mixed, not uniformly negative. Investors will watch customer engagement and sales trends closely. “Delete the App”: Strikers Call on Customers to Help Advance Union, Starbucks Stock (NASDAQ:SBUX) Jumps in Response
• Neutral Sentiment: Starbucks is a trending/screened stock in retail investor and research sites — more attention can amplify moves but doesn’t itself change fundamentals. Here is What to Know Beyond Why Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst notes and sector write-ups provide context but offer mixed takes on timing and catalysts; they add background rather than a clear near-term directional trigger. Analysts Offer Insights on Consumer Cyclical Companies: Starbucks (SBUX)…
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup issued a pessimistic price forecast for SBUX, which can pressure sentiment and act as a sell-side headwind if other firms follow. Citigroup Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: A new STOCK Act disclosure shows Senator Sheldon Whitehouse sold SBUX shares — insider/related-party sales can be interpreted negatively by some investors, even if sales have non-fundamental reasons. Congress Trade: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse Just Disclosed New Stock Trades

Insider Buying and Selling at Starbucks

In other Starbucks news, Director Jorgen Vig Knudstorp purchased 11,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 10th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $85.00 per share, with a total value 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 114,410,675 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $9,634,523,000 after purchasing an additional 971,773 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 11.4% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 85,460,350 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $7,229,968,000 after buying an additional 8,774,198 shares during the period. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 77,720,137 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $6,575,430,000 after buying an additional 1,462,874 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Starbucks by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 47,513,332 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $4,353,647,000 after buying an additional 544,534 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Starbucks by 0.4% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 25,846,634 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $2,357,815,000 after buying an additional 99,983 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Starbucks Stock Up 4.2%

SBUX opened at $96.97 on Thursday. Starbucks has a 52 week low of $75.50 and a 52 week high of $117.46. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $88.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $87.14. The company has a market capitalization of $110.48 billion, a PE ratio of 80.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.96.

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

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $0.62 per share. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. Starbucks’s payout ratio is 204.96%.

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.