Welch & Forbes LLC Sells 6,105 Shares of Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Welch & Forbes LLC lowered its position in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 6.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 84,551 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 6,105 shares during the period. Welch & Forbes LLC’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $7,575,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Starbucks during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in Starbucks during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Phillip James Consulting Co. bought a new stake in Starbucks during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Starbucks Trading Down 0.4%

Starbucks stock traded down $0.40 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $106.01. The stock had a trading volume of 4,686,326 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,783,678. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $102.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $97.07. Starbucks Corporation has a 12 month low of $77.99 and a 12 month high of $108.88. The company has a market capitalization of $120.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 80.31, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.98.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $9.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.17 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 29.24% and a net margin of 3.89%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.41 earnings per share. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.62 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio is presently 187.88%.

Trending Headlines about Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks’ AI-driven software overhaul could materially reduce operating expenses by replacing Microsoft and IBM systems, supporting future margin expansion. Starbucks Builds Sovereign AI to Cut $400 Million in Software Costs
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s recent earnings beat and revenue growth reinforce the view that its turnaround efforts are gaining traction.
• Neutral Sentiment: Starbucks added five new Orange Cream drinks for summer, which may help traffic and seasonal sales but is not a major fundamental catalyst on its own. Starbucks adds 5 new Orange Cream drinks for summer
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Brady Brewer sold shares under a pre-arranged trading plan, which can prompt caution but does not necessarily signal a change in the business outlook. SEC Form 4 filing

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of Starbucks stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.00, for a total transaction of $231,816.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 77,364 shares in the company, valued at $8,045,856. This trade represents a 2.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through 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 company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 29th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $6,053,565. This represents a 3.35% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 9,275 shares of company stock worth $947,833 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SBUX has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Citizens Jmp initiated coverage on Starbucks in a research note on Monday, March 30th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $84.00 price objective on the stock. Evercore raised their target price on Starbucks from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Starbucks from $99.00 to $101.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Starbucks in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and set a $115.00 price target (up from $110.00) on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Starbucks currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $108.92.

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.