Starbucks Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Posted by James Quigley on May 14th, 2026

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX – Get Free Report) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Traders bought 171,918 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 404% compared to the average volume of 34,138 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on SBUX. TD Cowen upgraded shares of Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $106.00 to $120.00 in a report on Thursday. Citizens Jmp assumed coverage on shares of Starbucks in a report on Monday, March 30th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $84.00 target price on the stock. New Street Research set a $90.00 target price on shares of Starbucks in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Starbucks from $99.00 to $101.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut shares of Starbucks from a “sector perform” rating to a “positive” rating in a report on Thursday. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $107.48.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on SBUX

Starbucks Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:SBUX traded up $0.45 during trading on Thursday, reaching $106.40. The stock had a trading volume of 9,937,376 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,701,975. Starbucks has a one year low of $77.99 and a one year high of $108.88. The company has a market capitalization of $121.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 80.61, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.01. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $97.72 and its 200 day simple moving average is $92.12.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.06. Starbucks had a net margin of 3.89% and a negative return on equity of 29.24%. The business had revenue of $9.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.17 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.41 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Starbucks will post 2.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 187.88%.

Insider Transactions at Starbucks

In other news, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.12, for a total value 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 document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.81, for a total transaction of $233,621.49. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 81,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,548,198.79. The trade was a 2.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 11,187 shares of company stock worth $1,111,085. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Starbucks

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Collier Financial purchased a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Phillip James Consulting Co. purchased a new position in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Finally, Y.D. More Investments Ltd purchased a new position in Starbucks during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. 72.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Starbucks News

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen upgraded Starbucks to Buy and raised its target, citing margin recovery and sales drivers that could support further upside. TD Cowen Just Upgraded Starbucks to Buy: Margin Recovery, Sales Drivers Power Comeback Story
Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Starbucks’ improving margin recovery, with Q2 FY26 margin expansion and earnings leverage suggesting the turnaround is gaining traction. Starbucks’ Margin Recovery Takes Shape: Can Cost Leverage Build?
Positive Sentiment: Starbucks shares hit a 52-week high as investors bought into the company’s turnaround plan and improving traffic trends. Starbucks Stock (SBUX) Hits 52-Week High as Investors Buy Into Turnaround Plan
Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed heavy buying of call options, which can signal traders are positioning for more upside. Unusual options trading in Starbucks
Neutral Sentiment: Starbucks is also experimenting with ChatGPT to help customers discover drinks, a potential innovation story but not yet a clear earnings driver. Only 39% Of Consumers Trust AI For Purchases, Yet Starbucks Is Using ChatGPT To Pick Your Next Drink
Negative Sentiment: UN human-rights experts urged Starbucks and the U.S. to address union-busting allegations, keeping labor and reputational risk in the spotlight. UN human-rights experts urge Starbucks and US address union-busting claims

Starbucks Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.