Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) Upgraded by Dbs Bank to “Moderate Sell” Rating

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) was upgraded by Dbs Bank from a “strong sell” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on SBUX. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Starbucks in a report on Friday, January 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Bank of America set a $114.00 price objective on Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $113.00 target price on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $105.00 price target on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $103.81.

Starbucks Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:SBUX opened at $92.55 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $96.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $88.57. Starbucks has a 52 week low of $75.50 and a 52 week high of $104.82. The company has a market cap of $105.44 billion, a PE ratio of 76.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.93.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.59 by ($0.03). Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 28.66% and a net margin of 3.63%.The firm had revenue of $9.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.62 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.69 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.400 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Starbucks will post 2.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Starbucks

In other Starbucks news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 1,641 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total value of $159,373.92. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 86,605 shares in the company, valued at $8,411,077.60. The trade was a 1.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total value of $242,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 59,609 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,789,226.08. The trade was a 4.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 4,729 shares of company stock worth $460,974 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Starbucks

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Starbucks in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,232,650,000. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its stake in shares of Starbucks by 11.4% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 85,460,350 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $7,229,968,000 after purchasing an additional 8,774,198 shares during the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Starbucks by 65.9% in the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 19,447,854 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $1,637,704,000 after purchasing an additional 7,725,547 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in Starbucks by 9.0% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 84,727,405 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $7,135,228,000 after purchasing an additional 7,007,268 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Starbucks by 146.6% in the second quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,049,192 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $553,201,000 after purchasing an additional 3,596,014 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Starbucks News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company plans to open 600–650 new stores in FY26, which supports revenue growth and global expansion if execution holds; this is a potential medium-term tailwind. Starbucks Targets 600-650 New Stores in FY26: Is Execution the Key?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyses note the company’s investment story is shifting as turnaround hopes confront valuation questions — useful context for medium/long-term positioning but not an immediate catalyst. How The Starbucks (SBUX) Investment Story Is Shifting As Turnaround Hopes Meet Valuation Questions
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry reference: Dutch Bros’ loyalty growth highlights the benefits of engagement-driven sales — a reminder that loyalty execution matters across the category. Dutch Bros Loyalty Hits 15M Members: Is Engagement Driving Sales?
• Negative Sentiment: RBC Capital downgraded SBUX, putting near-term pressure on the stock and signaling concerns from a major sell-side firm. RBC Capital downgrades Starbucks (SBUX)
• Negative Sentiment: Customer backlash following the March rewards-program overhaul (three-tier system) risks lower loyalty and transaction frequency if dissatisfaction persists. Starbucks Rewards Backlash Highlights Retail’s Shift Away From Points-Based Loyalty
• Negative Sentiment: Brand and design changes may not be winning back younger customers as intended, raising execution and brand-relevance risks. Starbucks’ Redesigns May Not Pull Youth Market, Starbucks Stock (NASDAQ:SBUX) Drops
• Negative Sentiment: Recent market reaction has been negative (shares down), reflecting the combination of the above headlines plus lingering concerns from the company’s recent EPS miss and high valuation metrics. Starbucks (SBUX) Suffers a Larger Drop Than the General Market: Key Insights

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.