Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) Given New $101.00 Price Target at Citigroup

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) had its target price upped by Citigroup from $99.00 to $101.00 in a report released on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the coffee company’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on SBUX. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. William Blair upgraded shares of Starbucks from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Starbucks from $112.00 to $117.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded Starbucks to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Dbs Bank raised Starbucks from a “strong sell” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Starbucks has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $106.93.

Starbucks Stock Up 8.4%

Shares of SBUX stock opened at $105.50 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $96.34 and a 200 day moving average of $90.85. Starbucks has a 52 week low of $75.50 and a 52 week high of $107.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $120.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 87.19, a PEG ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.95.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.06. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 28.66% and a net margin of 3.63%.The company had revenue of $9.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.41 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Starbucks will post 2.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Starbucks

In other news, 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 transaction of $242,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 59,609 shares in the company, valued at $5,789,226.08. This trade represents a 4.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Brady Brewer sold 1,641 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total value of $159,373.92. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 86,605 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,411,077.60. The trade was a 1.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 6,958 shares of company stock valued at $667,464 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Starbucks

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of SBUX. Collier Financial bought a new stake in Starbucks in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Phillip James Consulting Co. bought a new stake in Starbucks in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Finally, Y.D. More Investments Ltd bought a new stake in Starbucks in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Starbucks News

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat and outlook lift — Starbucks reported $0.50 EPS (vs. ~$0.44 consensus), $9.53B revenue, and raised FY26 EPS guidance to $2.25–2.45, giving the market a classic “beat?and?raise” catalyst. Starbucks Reports Q2 Fiscal Year 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Traffic and comps recovery — global comps rose ~6% (U.S. comps ~7%), evidence the turnaround is driving return visits and mix improvement that can drive future margin leverage as revenue scales. Starbucks tops quarterly sales estimates as CEO’s turnaround gains momentum
• Positive Sentiment: Investments in labor and stores appear to be working — management says roughly $500M of investments in staffing, scheduling and benefits helped speed service and win customers back. That supports sustainable top?line improvement if service gains persist. Starbucks is winning customers back after investing $500 million in workers and stores
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street is revising forecasts upward — multiple firms raised price targets and issued buy/overweight notes after the quarter, which amplifies buy-side momentum. Starbucks To Rally More Than 18%? Here Are 10 Top Analyst Forecasts For Wednesday
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate hub spending and relocation questions — Starbucks plans a $100M Nashville hub; it’s a strategic move but adds near?term corporate spend and raises relocation/ execution noise. Starbucks CEO on new $100 million Nashville hub
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive landscape — fast?food rivals (e.g., McDonald’s) are pushing more drinks/options; it’s a watch item for market share and pricing power but not an immediate earnings shock. McDonald’s takes aim at Starbucks with new drinks menu
• Negative Sentiment: Margins under pressure — Reuters and company commentary note that rising labor, gas and utility costs from the turnaround investments have compressed North American store margins; profit recovery may lag revenue growth. Starbucks customers are coming back. Profits haven’t caught up yet.
• Negative Sentiment: Some sell?side caution remains — BNP Paribas/other firms still express conservative views (one maintained an underperform stance with a lower price target), highlighting differing views on how quickly margins recover. Benzinga

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.