Gabelli Funds LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Gabelli Funds LLC increased its position in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 140.4% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 26,200 shares of the coffee company’s stock after buying an additional 15,300 shares during the quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $2,347,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of SBUX. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Phillip James Consulting Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in Starbucks during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Starbucks during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 72.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Starbucks Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:SBUX opened at $104.14 on Thursday. Starbucks Corporation has a 52 week low of $77.99 and a 52 week high of $109.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $118.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 78.89, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.98. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $102.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $98.92.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The coffee company reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.19. Starbucks had a net margin of 3.89% and a negative return on equity of 29.24%. The firm had revenue of $9.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.50 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.550-2.650 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.41 earnings per share for the current 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 given a dividend of $0.62 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio is 187.88%.

Starbucks News Roundup

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%

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on SBUX shares. Wedbush initiated coverage on Starbucks in a report on Thursday, May 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $108.00 price objective (up from $101.00) on shares of Starbucks in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. UBS Group cut shares of Starbucks from a “neutral” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Starbucks in a report on Thursday, May 14th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $111.00 target price (up from $110.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $109.42.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.00, for a total value of $231,816.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 77,364 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,045,856. This trade represents a 2.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders sold 6,687 shares of company stock valued at $679,033. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.