Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH lowered its position in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX – Free Report) by 3.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 962,445 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 29,916 shares during the quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $81,047,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in SBUX. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Starbucks by 86.5% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 176,722 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $16,126,000 after acquiring an additional 81,952 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 47.0% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 3,642 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $334,000 after purchasing an additional 1,164 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 9,061.1% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 156,930 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $14,379,000 after purchasing an additional 155,217 shares in the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Starbucks by 6.6% in the second quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 30,149 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $2,763,000 after purchasing an additional 1,871 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Country Trust Bank increased its stake in shares of Starbucks by 65.4% during the 2nd quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 1,029 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 407 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.29% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling at Starbucks
In related news, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total transaction of $242,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Brady Brewer sold 1,641 shares of the firm’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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 86,605 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,411,077.60. The trade was a 1.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 4,729 shares of company stock valued at $460,974 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.
Starbucks Stock Performance
Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.59 by ($0.03). Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 28.66% and a net margin of 3.63%.The business had revenue of $9.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.69 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.400 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Trending Headlines about Starbucks
Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Starbucks is piloting additional ordering methods and technology in high‑traffic and licensed locations to increase access and throughput—efforts aimed at reducing lines and raising sales per location. Starbucks tests additional ordering methods in high-traffic locations
- Positive Sentiment: CEO Brian Niccol says the turnaround is progressing: investments in barista staffing and a push to open ~1,000 new “for‑here” coffeehouses this fiscal year (part of a longer-term 5,000 target) aim to rebuild traffic and the brand experience. Starbucks Has Its Shine Back, CEO Brian Niccol Says
- Positive Sentiment: The company is targeting $2 billion in cost savings over two years to help offset ongoing investments and support margin recovery—this is a direct levers-for-profitability story investors typically like if execution follows. Can Starbucks’ $2B Cost-Savings Plan Reignite Margin Expansion?
- Positive Sentiment: Operational efficiency pilots (including queue/time reductions at airports) and new service models are being tested to improve throughput and unit economics in premium, high-volume locations. Efficiency Not Out at Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) as it Looks to Shorten Airport Lines
- Neutral Sentiment: Real‑estate moves such as a large lease (WSJ opinion on Nashville) highlight continued expansion but have mixed near‑term financial impact depending on unit economics. Opinion | Starbucks to Nashville?
- Negative Sentiment: Governance and labor concerns rose after Starbucks dissolved its labor relations committee; activists are pushing director votes and union contract talks (with higher starting wage proposals) resume—this raises potential cost and execution risk. Starbucks Labor Governance Shakeup Puts Investor Focus On Costs And Risks
- Negative Sentiment: Multiple commentaries note the rally has stalled amid persistent operational issues; a recent earnings miss and critical analysis (Seeking Alpha) fuel skepticism about how quickly margins will recover. Starbucks: Full Price For A Half-Brewed Turnaround
- Negative Sentiment: Analyst commentary and press pieces warn the CEO’s prior “magic” may not be fully repeatable here; operational depth of problems has kept some investors cautious. Starbucks’ US$100 million CEO can’t repeat Chipotle stock magic
- Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting the stock “slides” despite product interest (e.g., demand for protein/functional coffee additions) highlights investor focus on near‑term execution over product momentum. “Functional Fuel”: Starbucks Stock (NASDAQ:SBUX) Slides Despite Growing Demand for Protein in Coffee
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $103.00 target price (up from $100.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Monday, December 29th. Dbs Bank upgraded Starbucks from a “strong sell” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $105.00 price objective on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $95.00 price objective (up from $90.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $103.81.
Read Our Latest Research Report on Starbucks
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.
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