PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators Takes $14.95 Million Position in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators acquired a new stake in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor acquired 177,502 shares of the coffee company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,947,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of SBUX. Collier Financial acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Starbucks during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Y.D. More Investments Ltd acquired a new stake in Starbucks during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Starbucks during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in Starbucks during the third quarter worth about $27,000. 72.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley raised Starbucks from an “overweight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Starbucks in a report on Monday, March 9th. They set a “peer perform” rating on the stock. BTIG Research lowered Starbucks from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Citizens Jmp assumed coverage on Starbucks in a report on Monday, March 30th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $84.00 target price on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Starbucks from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Starbucks currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $107.48.

Starbucks News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Several articles frame Starbucks as a potential turnaround story, with commentary noting improving traffic, rewards growth, innovation, and margin-recovery efforts that could support a rebound. SBUX Down 9% in a Month: Is This the Right Time to Buy the Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Starbucks is reportedly tying part of tech workers’ bonuses to AI usage, signaling management is pushing harder on productivity and technology adoption, which investors may view as a margin and efficiency positive. Starbucks (SBUX) Ties Part of Tech Bonuses to AI Usage
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage comparing Starbucks with Chipotle argued that Starbucks’ turnaround looks more credible than other beaten-down restaurant names, which can reinforce investor confidence in the stock. Chipotle vs Starbucks: One Turnaround Is Real, One Is Just Smoke
• Neutral Sentiment: One article revisited Starbucks’ long-term returns versus McDonald’s, which is more historical context than a direct catalyst for the stock. If you had invested $1,000 in McDonald’s or Starbucks 10 years ago, here’s what you’d have now
• Negative Sentiment: Headline risk remains around Starbucks’ operations, including criticism of an “unreliable” AI inventory system and a separate legal-focused article questioning whether insiders breached fiduciary duties, both of which can add pressure to sentiment. “Unreliable” AI Inventory System Gone at Starbucks, Starbucks Stock (NASDAQ:SBUX) Ticks Down Did Starbucks Corporation Insiders Breach their Fiduciary Duties to Shareholders?

Insider Activity at Starbucks

In other news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.81, for a total value of $233,621.49. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 81,559 shares in the company, valued at $8,548,198.79. This trade represents a 2.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total value of $210,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 57,653 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,053,565. This trade represents a 3.35% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 7,046 shares of company stock worth $708,911. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Starbucks Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of SBUX stock opened at $95.29 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $108.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 72.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.98. The business’s 50 day moving average is $99.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $94.10. Starbucks Corporation has a 12-month low of $77.99 and a 12-month high of $108.88.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The coffee company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $9.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.17 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 29.24% and a net margin of 3.89%.Starbucks’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.41 earnings per share. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.450 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were given a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 187.88%.

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.