Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) Upgraded by BNP Paribas Exane to Strong Sell Rating

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) was upgraded by stock analysts at BNP Paribas Exane to a “strong sell” rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on SBUX. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Starbucks from $86.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $105.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Dbs Bank raised shares of Starbucks from a “strong sell” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $120.00 target price on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Barclays set a $116.00 target price on Starbucks and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $103.07.

Starbucks Price Performance

NASDAQ:SBUX opened at $89.59 on Monday. Starbucks has a fifty-two week low of $75.50 and a fifty-two week high of $104.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $102.07 billion, a PE ratio of 74.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.93. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $95.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $88.89.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total transaction of $242,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 59,609 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,789,226.08. This represents a 4.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Brady Brewer sold 588 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total transaction of $58,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 86,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,601,700. This trade represents a 0.68% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 4,729 shares of company stock worth $460,974. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Starbucks

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at about $67,000. World Investment Advisors boosted its position in Starbucks by 6.9% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 86,981 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $7,325,000 after purchasing an additional 5,635 shares during the last quarter. Meadowbrook Advisors Group LLC bought a new position in Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $368,000. Green Ridge Wealth Planning LLC bought a new position in Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $259,000. Finally, Audent Global Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Starbucks by 89.6% during the 4th quarter. Audent Global Asset Management LLC now owns 9,330 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $786,000 after purchasing an additional 4,408 shares during the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Starbucks News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Investors re‑elected Starbucks’ full board, rejecting a labor‑backed challenge — a win for management continuity and de‑risking near‑term governance uncertainty. Starbucks investors reelect full board, rejecting labor-backed challenge
• Positive Sentiment: CEO and management say the turnaround is showing results in store experience and operational metrics, reinforcing the case that recent initiatives are working. Starbucks Says The Turnaround Is Showing Up
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholders approved governance changes (including simpler majority voting), which reduces shareholder‑action uncertainty and can speed strategic execution. Starbucks Shareholders Approve Governance Changes at 2026 Meeting
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysis warns the turnaround looks real but much of the improvement may already be reflected in the stock, suggesting limited near‑term upside absent stronger execution or earnings beats. Starbucks (SBUX) Turnaround Looks Real, but the Easy Money May Be Gone
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro pressure — notably higher gasoline prices — could reduce drive‑thru visits industry‑wide and blunt traffic growth for locations reliant on drive‑thru channels. High Gas Prices May Prompt Consumers to Reduce Drive-Thru Visits, Research Shows
• Negative Sentiment: Citizens JMP initiated coverage with a “market underperform” rating and an $84 price target, signaling near‑term downside risk versus current levels. Citizens Jmp sets mkt underperform on SBUX

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.