Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 2.550-2.650 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 2.390. The company issued revenue guidance of -, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $37.7 billion.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SBUX has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Stephens started coverage on Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. They issued an “overweight” rating for the company. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Starbucks in a report on Thursday, May 14th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $110.00 price target on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $120.00 price target (up from $115.00) on shares of Starbucks in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded shares of Starbucks from a “sector perform” rating to a “positive” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Starbucks has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $109.42.

Starbucks Price Performance

SBUX stock traded up $1.04 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $104.14. 12,439,453 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,255,398. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $102.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $98.92. Starbucks has a one year low of $77.99 and a one year high of $109.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $118.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 78.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.98.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The coffee company reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $9.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.17 billion. Starbucks had a net margin of 3.89% and a negative return on equity of 29.24%. The business’s revenue was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.50 EPS. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.550-2.650 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Starbucks will post 2.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The business 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 $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Starbucks’s payout ratio is currently 187.88%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other 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 transaction of $231,816.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 77,364 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,045,856. This represents a 2.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 6,687 shares of company stock worth $679,033 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Key Starbucks News

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Global comparable-store sales rose 7.9%, driven primarily by a 4.2% increase in comparable transactions, indicating stronger customer traffic as well as improved spending per visit. Starbucks Reports Q3 Fiscal Year 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted earnings reached $0.85 per share, exceeding consensus estimates near $0.65-$0.66, while revenue of approximately $9.32 billion also topped forecasts. Reported GAAP EPS was $0.91, up sharply from the prior year. Starbucks Q3 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks raised fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.55-$2.65 from $2.25-$2.45 and set a 6% global comparable-sales growth target. The outlook is above the roughly $2.39 analyst consensus. Starbucks Raises Its Full-Year Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: North American revenue increased 7% to $7.4 billion, while international margins improved, reinforcing expectations that operational improvements can support earnings growth. Starbucks Q3 Comparable Sales Rise 7.9%

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Starbucks

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SBUX. Compound Planning Inc. boosted its position in shares of Starbucks by 26.4% during the 4th quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 29,808 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $2,510,000 after purchasing an additional 6,229 shares in the last quarter. Strive Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Starbucks in the 4th quarter valued at about $488,000. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV raised its stake in Starbucks by 6.2% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 206,206 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $17,499,000 after buying an additional 11,962 shares during the period. Summit Global Investments acquired a new position in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth approximately $417,000. Finally, Virtue Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Starbucks by 191.4% in the fourth quarter. Virtue Capital Management LLC now owns 8,799 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $739,000 after acquiring an additional 5,779 shares in the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.