London Co. of Virginia Decreases Position in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

London Co. of Virginia lowered its stake in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 10.6% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 2,268,061 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 269,867 shares during the period. London Co. of Virginia’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $203,197,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth $1,232,650,000. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Starbucks by 65.9% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 19,447,854 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $1,637,704,000 after purchasing an additional 7,725,547 shares during the period. Capital World Investors raised its position in Starbucks by 9.0% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 84,727,405 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $7,135,228,000 after purchasing an additional 7,007,268 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its position in Starbucks by 146.6% in the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,049,192 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $553,201,000 after purchasing an additional 3,596,014 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi boosted its stake in shares of Starbucks by 57.1% in the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 4,532,627 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $381,693,000 after buying an additional 1,647,292 shares during the period. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on SBUX. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. UBS Group downgraded shares of Starbucks from a “neutral” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Tigress Financial initiated coverage on Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $122.00 target price on the stock. Stephens initiated coverage on Starbucks in a report on Thursday, May 14th. They issued an “overweight” rating on the stock. Finally, Zacks Research cut Starbucks from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $109.42.

Key Starbucks News

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS said Starbucks is likely to report continued sales momentum in fiscal Q3, pointing to progress in its turnaround efforts and stronger near-term demand trends. Starbucks Sales Momentum Likely Continued in Fiscal Q3, UBS Says
• Positive Sentiment: UBS also said Starbucks’ turnaround strategy could drive U.S. comparable sales above consensus expectations, which supports the bullish case ahead of earnings. Starbucks’ Turnaround Strategy Could Drive US Comparable Sale Upside, UBS Says
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple pre-earnings previews note improving traffic, loyalty momentum, and product innovation, reinforcing expectations that Starbucks may be stabilizing operations. Starbucks Q3 Earnings Ahead: Buy, Sell or Hold the Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street outlook pieces are highlighting upcoming Q3 estimates and key operating metrics, suggesting investors are waiting for the actual earnings report for confirmation. Unveiling Starbucks (SBUX) Q3 Outlook: Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader consumer stocks were stronger late Friday, providing a supportive sector backdrop for Starbucks rather than a company-specific catalyst. Sector Update: Consumer Stocks Rise Late Afternoon
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage says Starbucks is outperforming the Nasdaq-100 this year, reflecting renewed investor optimism around the stock’s recovery story. Starbucks Is on Track to Beat the Nasdaq-100 for the First Time Since 2022. Is There More Room to Run?

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.00, for a total value of $231,816.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 77,364 shares in the company, valued at $8,045,856. The trade was a 2.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total transaction of $210,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 57,653 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,053,565. This trade represents a 3.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 8,687 shares of company stock worth $889,033. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Starbucks Stock Performance

NASDAQ:SBUX opened at $103.25 on Friday. Starbucks Corporation has a 1 year low of $77.99 and a 1 year high of $109.23. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $102.32 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $98.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $117.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 78.22, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.98.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.06. Starbucks had a net margin of 3.89% and a negative return on equity of 29.24%. The company had revenue of $9.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.41 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.41 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio is currently 187.88%.

Starbucks 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.