ING Groep NV Boosts Stake in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

ING Groep NV raised its position in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 2,234.5% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 145,090 shares of the coffee company’s stock after purchasing an additional 138,875 shares during the period. ING Groep NV’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $12,218,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in Starbucks in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Y.D. More Investments Ltd bought a new position in Starbucks in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Starbucks in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. 72.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Starbucks from an “overweight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Stephens assumed coverage on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. They issued an “overweight” rating on the stock. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $110.00 target price on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. They issued an “underperform” rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Starbucks presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $107.48.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Starbucks news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.81, for a total value of $233,621.49. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 81,559 shares in the company, valued at $8,548,198.79. This trade represents a 2.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 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 that occurred on Wednesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total transaction of $210,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 57,653 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,053,565. This trade represents a 3.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 6,458 shares of company stock worth $650,111. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Starbucks Stock Performance

NASDAQ SBUX opened at $95.29 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $99.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $94.18. Starbucks Corporation has a 52-week low of $77.99 and a 52-week high of $108.88. The company has a market cap of $108.60 billion, a PE ratio of 72.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.98.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.06. Starbucks had a net margin of 3.89% and a negative return on equity of 29.24%. The firm had revenue of $9.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.17 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.41 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly 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 forecast that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.62 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 187.88%.

More Starbucks News

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Several articles frame Starbucks as a potential turnaround story, with commentary noting improving traffic, rewards growth, innovation, and margin-recovery efforts that could support a rebound. SBUX Down 9% in a Month: Is This the Right Time to Buy the Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks is reportedly tying part of tech workers’ bonuses to AI usage, signaling management is pushing harder on productivity and technology adoption, which investors may view as a margin and efficiency positive. Starbucks (SBUX) Ties Part of Tech Bonuses to AI Usage
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage comparing Starbucks with Chipotle argued that Starbucks’ turnaround looks more credible than other beaten-down restaurant names, which can reinforce investor confidence in the stock. Chipotle vs Starbucks: One Turnaround Is Real, One Is Just Smoke
• Neutral Sentiment: One article revisited Starbucks’ long-term returns versus McDonald’s, which is more historical context than a direct catalyst for the stock. If you had invested $1,000 in McDonald’s or Starbucks 10 years ago, here’s what you’d have now
• Negative Sentiment: Headline risk remains around Starbucks’ operations, including criticism of an “unreliable” AI inventory system and a separate legal-focused article questioning whether insiders breached fiduciary duties, both of which can add pressure to sentiment. “Unreliable” AI Inventory System Gone at Starbucks, Starbucks Stock (NASDAQ:SBUX) Ticks Down Did Starbucks Corporation Insiders Breach their Fiduciary Duties to Shareholders?

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.