HS Management Partners LLC Sells 73,559 Shares of Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

HS Management Partners LLC cut its holdings in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 28.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 181,900 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 73,559 shares during the period. Starbucks comprises approximately 3.3% of HS Management Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position. HS Management Partners LLC’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $15,318,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in SBUX. Collier Financial bought a new stake in Starbucks during the third quarter worth $25,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Starbucks during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Y.D. More Investments Ltd bought a new stake in Starbucks during the third quarter worth $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SBUX has been the subject of a number of research reports. Dbs Bank upgraded Starbucks from a “strong sell” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. DA Davidson increased their price target on Starbucks from $97.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Starbucks in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $110.00 price target on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $107.48.

Starbucks Stock Performance

Shares of SBUX opened at $103.11 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $117.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 78.11, a PEG ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 1.01. Starbucks Corporation has a 52 week low of $77.99 and a 52 week high of $108.88. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $98.65 and a 200-day moving average of $93.10.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $9.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.17 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 29.24% and a net margin of 3.89%.Starbucks’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.41 EPS. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.42 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.62 per share. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 187.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Starbucks

In related news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.81, for a total transaction of $233,621.49. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total value of $242,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 59,609 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,789,226.08. This represents a 4.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 11,187 shares of company stock valued at $1,111,085. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Starbucks abandoned its AI inventory tool after finding counting errors and mislabeled items, suggesting a setback in its technology rollout and potential operational inefficiency. Starbucks scraps AI inventory tool after nine months
• Negative Sentiment: Reuters-based reports say the company paused the tool after workers reported stocking problems, reinforcing concerns that the AI system was not ready for broad use. Starbucks scraps AI inventory tool across North America: Reuters
• Neutral Sentiment: Starbucks also announced it will participate in the Bernstein 42nd Annual Strategic Decisions Conference next week, giving management another opportunity to address the turnaround, cost cuts, and operating changes. Starbucks to Participate in the Bernstein 42nd Annual Strategic Decisions Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s latest China joint-venture restructuring is also shifting revenue recognition and improving margins, but that news is more of a longer-term financial reset than a direct same-day stock driver. Starbucks’ China JV Shift Reshapes Revenue and Margin Outlook

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.