Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Citigroup Analyst Says

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) had its price target upped by equities research analysts at Citigroup from $108.00 to $112.00 in a report released on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the coffee company’s stock. Citigroup’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 6.41% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on SBUX. Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $97.00 price target (up from $95.00) on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $112.00 to $117.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Starbucks from $105.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Stephens began coverage on shares of Starbucks in a report on Thursday, May 14th. They issued an “overweight” rating for the company. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $112.04.

Starbucks Stock Performance

Shares of SBUX opened at $105.25 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $102.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $99.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $119.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.98. Starbucks has a 52-week low of $77.99 and a 52-week high of $109.23.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The coffee company reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $9.32 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.17 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 34.10% and a net margin of 5.17%.The firm’s revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.50 EPS. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.550-2.650 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Starbucks will post 2.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Starbucks

In related news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.00, for a total value of $231,816.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 77,364 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,045,856. This represents a 2.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 6,687 shares of company stock valued at $679,033 in the last quarter. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Starbucks

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SBUX. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Phillip James Consulting Co. bought a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in Starbucks in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Financial Freedom LLC grew its position in Starbucks by 296.2% in the first quarter. Financial Freedom LLC now owns 313 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Key Starbucks News

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong fiscal Q3 results: Adjusted earnings of $0.85 per share exceeded the $0.66 consensus, while revenue reached $9.32 billion versus expectations of approximately $9.17 billion. Global comparable-store sales increased 7.9%, powered by 4.2% transaction growth, suggesting customer traffic—not just pricing—is improving. Starbucks Q3 profit beats on US turnaround, lifts full-year guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Guidance was raised: Starbucks lifted fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.55–$2.65 from $2.25–$2.45 and now expects roughly 6% full-year global comparable-sales growth. Management said faster service, store improvements, new products and better customer experiences are helping CEO Brian Niccol’s “Back to Starbucks” turnaround. Starbucks Just Raised Starbucks’ Full-Year Profit Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains favorable: TD Cowen reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $120 target, while BTIG raised or reaffirmed its target at $115. Wells Fargo raised its target to $125 and Morgan Stanley to $115, reinforcing expectations for further recovery. We’re raising our price target on Starbucks after a home-run quarter
• Neutral Sentiment: Starbucks is testing carbonated versions of its Refreshers in select markets, expanding its non-coffee beverage strategy aimed particularly at younger customers. The sales impact remains unproven. Starbucks is betting bubbles will give sales some sparkle
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and profit-taking are limiting upside: After a substantial year-to-date advance and trading near its 52-week high, SBUX carries a price-to-earnings ratio above 60. Wolfe Research maintained a Hold rating, and BNP Paribas Exane kept an Underperform rating with a $92 target, warning that much of the recovery may already be priced in. Recent insider activity has also consisted of sales rather than purchases.

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.