Investors Buy High Volume of Starbucks Put Options (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) saw some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Investors bought 127,202 put options on the company. This represents an increase of 156% compared to the typical volume of 49,640 put options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $105.00 target price on shares of Starbucks and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $100.00 price objective on Starbucks and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Barclays lowered their target price on Starbucks from $115.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Starbucks from $84.00 to $83.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their target price on shares of Starbucks from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $101.44.

Starbucks Stock Down 1.2%

SBUX traded down $1.04 on Wednesday, reaching $84.21. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 5,289,086 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,111,898. The company has a market capitalization of $95.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.98. Starbucks has a fifty-two week low of $75.50 and a fifty-two week high of $117.46. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $84.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $87.40.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The coffee company reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.55 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $9.57 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.41 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 31.32% and a net margin of 4.99%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.80 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Starbucks will post 2.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio is currently 151.22%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Starbucks news, Director Jorgen Vig Knudstorp purchased 11,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $85.00 per share, for a total transaction of $994,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 53,096 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,513,160. This trade represents a 28.26% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Starbucks

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in SBUX. Game Plan Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Starbucks during the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Transce3nd LLC grew its position in shares of Starbucks by 270.3% during the second quarter. Transce3nd LLC now owns 274 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Collier Financial acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Chelsea Counsel Co. purchased a new stake in Starbucks in the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Y.D. More Investments Ltd acquired a new stake in Starbucks during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. 72.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stores Impacting Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CEO Brian Niccol says anecdotal Reddit feedback shows the “Back to Starbucks” service turnaround is gaining traction — a sign management believes store-level service and sales trends are improving, which could support margins and same-store sales if sustained. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol says a Reddit thread…
• Positive Sentiment: Company plans to add and remodel stores in 2026 after closing 400 U.S. locations — signals a strategic shift to prioritize higher-return locations and customer experience, which can boost long-term unit economics if executed well. Starbucks Plans to Add and Remodel Stores After Closing 400 This Year
• Positive Sentiment: Positive media on tech and marketing (AI pilots, influencer partnerships) has been driving pockets of investor interest — these initiatives can help drive loyalty and productivity improvements over time. More of a co-pilot than a replacement—Starbucks stock gains with news about AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst and media coverage (features from Zacks, TipRanks and MarketBeat) is increasing attention to SBUX but offering divergent views on valuation and timing — useful for monitoring sentiment but not immediately directional. Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) is Attracting Investor Attention
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually large put-option volume: traders bought ~127,202 puts (≈+156% vs. average) — a clear near-term bearish bet that increases downside pressure and can amplify volatility.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded SBUX from “hold” to “strong sell,” which can weigh on sentiment and trigger selling from funds or traders tracking analyst actions. Zacks downgrade coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Starbucks closed ~400 U.S. stores this year highlight execution risk and near-term revenue headwinds in certain markets; investors may be focused on whether closures are offset by remastered locations and comps. Starbucks Closes 400 U.S. Stores

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.