Plato Investment Management Ltd Buys Shares of 15,823 Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Plato Investment Management Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund purchased 15,823 shares of the coffee company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,608,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in SBUX. Sunbelt Securities Inc. increased its stake in shares of Starbucks by 1.0% during the first quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 9,473 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $849,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the period. Webster Bank N. A. lifted its position in Starbucks by 7.8% in the second quarter. Webster Bank N. A. now owns 1,396 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $143,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. Nilsine Partners LLC lifted its position in Starbucks by 1.0% in the second quarter. Nilsine Partners LLC now owns 10,039 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $1,026,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. Beta Wealth Group Inc. boosted its stake in Starbucks by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Beta Wealth Group Inc. now owns 6,216 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $635,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elgethun Capital Management boosted its stake in Starbucks by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter. Elgethun Capital Management now owns 1,219 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $125,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Starbucks Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:SBUX opened at $107.08 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $122.07 billion, a PE ratio of 61.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.97. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $104.45 and a 200-day moving average of $100.36. Starbucks Corporation has a one year low of $77.99 and a one year high of $110.51.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The coffee company reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $9.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.17 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 34.10% and a net margin of 5.17%.The company’s quarterly revenue was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.50 EPS. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.550-2.650 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 142.53%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on SBUX shares. Stephens started coverage on Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. They set an “overweight” rating on the stock. Compass Point started coverage on Starbucks in a report on Monday, August 3rd. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. UBS Group raised their target price on Starbucks from $105.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $117.00 target price on Starbucks and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Guggenheim initiated coverage on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Starbucks presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $110.30.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Starbucks news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.99, for a total transaction of $236,251.71. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 75,135 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,963,558.65. The trade was a 2.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 6,687 shares of company stock valued at $681,663. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks is eliminating more than 200 corporate positions as part of a broader restructuring and approximately $2 billion cost-reduction effort. Lower overhead could support profitability if the company maintains service levels and directs more resources toward its stores. The reductions do not involve cafe closures. Starbucks trims corporate ranks as coffeehouse investments deliver
• Positive Sentiment: Recent market commentary highlights Starbucks’ roughly 25% 2026 gain and suggests investors are rewarding its operational reset and investments in the cafe experience. The rally follows the company’s latest quarterly earnings beat, with adjusted EPS of $0.85 versus a $0.66 consensus estimate and revenue above expectations.
• Neutral Sentiment: The restructuring is relocating some corporate operations to a new, approximately $100 million Nashville office. Around 120 Seattle employees reportedly declined the move, while another 104 roles in store design and construction are being eliminated. Management characterizes the actions as part of the restructuring winding down, but the savings and impact on execution remain to be demonstrated. Starbucks cuts another 224 Seattle jobs
• Negative Sentiment: Starbucks continues to face challenges in China, where domestic competitors, shifting consumer preferences and geopolitical tensions are eroding the position of major U.S. brands. China weakness could limit international growth and pressure comparable sales. Why some of America’s biggest brands are losing ground in China
• Negative Sentiment: The stock’s strong performance has also produced a demanding valuation, with the supplied data showing a P/E ratio above 60. Investors may require sustained earnings growth from the turnaround to justify the premium, leaving SBUX vulnerable to disappointment.

Starbucks 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.