Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Invests $100.59 Million in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 984,345 shares of the coffee company’s stock, valued at approximately $100,590,000.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Starbucks in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Phillip James Consulting Co. acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Starbucks during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. 72.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on SBUX shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $126.00 price target on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Citigroup increased their price target on Starbucks from $108.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Needham & Company LLC set a $120.00 price objective on Starbucks in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Scotiabank downgraded Starbucks from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Starbucks has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $110.30.

Starbucks Trading Up 2.6%

Shares of Starbucks stock opened at $108.49 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $123.68 billion, a PE ratio of 62.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a 50 day moving average of $104.82 and a 200-day moving average of $100.68. Starbucks Corporation has a 1-year low of $77.99 and a 1-year high of $110.51.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The coffee company reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.19. Starbucks had a net margin of 5.17% and a negative return on equity of 34.10%. The business had revenue of $9.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.17 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.50 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.550-2.650 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 142.53%.

Key Starbucks News

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Baird upgraded Starbucks to “Strong Buy.” Robert W. Baird raised its view on the stock, following an earlier Outperform rating and a $124 price target—roughly 15% above the recently cited share price. The upgrade supports the broader turnaround narrative under CEO Brian Niccol. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: Fall menu and Pumpkin Spice Latte season are providing a seasonal sales catalyst. Starbucks launched its fall offerings, including the returning Pumpkin Spice Latte, while also promoting limited-time beverages and a Blueberry Matcha Daily Fiber Bar partnership. Early reports indicate refreshed products have supported customer traffic and weekend sales, reinforcing the “Back to Starbucks” strategy. Starbucks fall menu article
• Positive Sentiment: Restructuring is aimed at improving profitability. Starbucks is cutting more than 200 additional corporate jobs as part of a broader, approximately $2 billion turnaround effort. Cost reductions, improving comparable-store sales and expansion of operations in Nashville could strengthen margins if execution remains on track. Starbucks restructuring article
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation leaves limited room for disappointment. Starbucks recently traded around $108.49, versus a 52-week range of $77.99 to $110.51, with a reported forward fiscal 2026 EPS outlook of $2.55–$2.65. The strong year-to-date performance reflects rising confidence in the turnaround, but also increases sensitivity to execution setbacks.
• Negative Sentiment: Workers United is urging customers to boycott Starbucks. More than 12,000 unionized baristas are seeking a contract and reportedly demanding $17-per-hour wages. The campaign coincides with the Pumpkin Spice Latte launch, creating a risk of reputational damage, weaker traffic or higher labor costs if negotiations remain stalled. Starbucks union boycott article

Insider Transactions at Starbucks

In other Starbucks news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.99, for a total transaction of $236,251.71. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 75,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,963,558.65. The trade was a 2.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 6,687 shares of company stock valued at $681,663 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

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.