NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC Reduces Stock Position in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC trimmed its holdings in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 15.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 112,447 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 20,595 shares during the period. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $9,733,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Starbucks by 0.5% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 113,438,902 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $9,596,931,000 after buying an additional 577,279 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors raised its holdings in Starbucks by 11.4% in the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 85,460,350 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $7,229,968,000 after acquiring an additional 8,774,198 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in Starbucks by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 77,720,137 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $6,575,430,000 after acquiring an additional 1,462,874 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Starbucks by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 47,513,332 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $4,353,647,000 after acquiring an additional 544,534 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors grew its holdings in Starbucks by 22.5% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 14,691,772 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $1,243,104,000 after acquiring an additional 2,699,479 shares in the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Starbucks news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 588 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total transaction of $58,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 86,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,601,700. The trade was a 0.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total transaction of $242,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 59,609 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,789,226.08. This trade represents a 4.03% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 4,729 shares of company stock worth $460,974. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating and issued a $89.00 target price (up from $84.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Friday, January 30th. New Street Research set a $90.00 price target on Starbucks in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Monday, December 29th. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating and set a $95.00 price objective (up from $90.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $113.00 target price on shares of Starbucks in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $103.81.

More Starbucks News

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company plans to open 600–650 new stores in FY26, which supports revenue growth and global expansion if execution holds; this is a potential medium-term tailwind. Starbucks Targets 600-650 New Stores in FY26: Is Execution the Key?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyses note the company’s investment story is shifting as turnaround hopes confront valuation questions — useful context for medium/long-term positioning but not an immediate catalyst. How The Starbucks (SBUX) Investment Story Is Shifting As Turnaround Hopes Meet Valuation Questions
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry reference: Dutch Bros’ loyalty growth highlights the benefits of engagement-driven sales — a reminder that loyalty execution matters across the category. Dutch Bros Loyalty Hits 15M Members: Is Engagement Driving Sales?
• Negative Sentiment: RBC Capital downgraded SBUX, putting near-term pressure on the stock and signaling concerns from a major sell-side firm. RBC Capital downgrades Starbucks (SBUX)
• Negative Sentiment: Customer backlash following the March rewards-program overhaul (three-tier system) risks lower loyalty and transaction frequency if dissatisfaction persists. Starbucks Rewards Backlash Highlights Retail’s Shift Away From Points-Based Loyalty
• Negative Sentiment: Brand and design changes may not be winning back younger customers as intended, raising execution and brand-relevance risks. Starbucks’ Redesigns May Not Pull Youth Market, Starbucks Stock (NASDAQ:SBUX) Drops
• Negative Sentiment: Recent market reaction has been negative (shares down), reflecting the combination of the above headlines plus lingering concerns from the company’s recent EPS miss and high valuation metrics. Starbucks (SBUX) Suffers a Larger Drop Than the General Market: Key Insights

Starbucks Price Performance

Shares of SBUX opened at $92.55 on Friday. Starbucks Corporation has a 12 month low of $75.50 and a 12 month high of $104.82. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $96.01 and a 200 day moving average price of $88.56. The company has a market cap of $105.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 76.49, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.93.

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

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.