Inspire Trust Co. N.A. Acquires Shares of 55,000 Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Inspire Trust Co. N.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 55,000 shares of the coffee company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,632,000.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Collier Financial bought a new position in Starbucks during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Starbucks during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Y.D. More Investments Ltd bought a new position in Starbucks during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in Starbucks during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Starbucks during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Starbucks from a “neutral” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. TD Cowen upgraded shares of Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $106.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Monday, March 9th. They set a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Finally, DA Davidson raised their price target on shares of Starbucks from $97.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $107.48.

Starbucks Stock Down 1.3%

SBUX stock opened at $100.75 on Friday. Starbucks Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $77.99 and a fifty-two week high of $108.88. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $98.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $93.73. The stock has a market cap of $114.82 billion, a PE ratio of 76.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 1.01.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $9.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.41 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 187.88%.

Key Starbucks News

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks said afternoon customer traffic is rising as its turnaround efforts gain traction, a sign that demand may be improving in a key daypart for sales. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks named Starbucks to its Strong Buy income list, signaling continued analyst confidence in the stock despite recent volatility. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage this week highlighted Starbucks as a turnaround story, with some articles arguing the company’s recovery is getting a boost from consumer coffee habits and new products. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks presented at Bernstein’s strategic conference, keeping management’s turnaround narrative in front of investors. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts revisited why Starbucks has lagged since its last earnings report, but the piece mainly framed the move as a post-earnings performance check rather than a new catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Starbucks’ stock has also been getting attention from short-interest updates and broader investor commentary, but these did not point to a major new fundamental change. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Starbucks quietly retired its AI inventory tool after it reportedly miscounted stock and slowed baristas, raising concerns about execution risks in its technology strategy. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Separate reports said Starbucks suffered a significant sales decline in South Korea after a backlash tied to a marketing campaign, highlighting reputational and international growth risks. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary on the failed AI rollout also argued that Starbucks is stepping back from AI while other companies accelerate adoption, which could be read as a sign of weaker innovation momentum. Article Title

Insider Transactions at Starbucks

In related news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.81, for a total value of $233,621.49. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 81,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,548,198.79. This trade represents a 2.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing 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. Also, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,000 shares of the 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 directly owned 57,653 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,053,565. This trade represents a 3.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 11,187 shares of company stock worth $1,111,085. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

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.