Madison Asset Management LLC Trims Stake in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Madison Asset Management LLC cut its position in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 99.4% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 2,381 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 364,882 shares during the period. Madison Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $213,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Beta Wealth Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Starbucks by 1.7% during the first quarter. Beta Wealth Group Inc. now owns 6,114 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $548,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the period. NWF Advisory Services Inc. grew its holdings in Starbucks by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. NWF Advisory Services Inc. now owns 4,349 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $366,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Aerodigm Wealth LLC increased its position in Starbucks by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Aerodigm Wealth LLC now owns 4,245 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $357,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the period. River Street Advisors LLC increased its position in Starbucks by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. River Street Advisors LLC now owns 13,516 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $1,138,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the period. Finally, Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV raised its holdings in shares of Starbucks by 38.2% in the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 409 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Starbucks

In related news, EVP Sara Kelly sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total transaction of $210,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 57,653 shares in the company, valued at $6,053,565. The trade was a 3.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.00, for a total value of $231,816.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 77,364 shares in the company, valued at $8,045,856. This represents a 2.80% 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. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 8,687 shares of company stock valued at $889,033. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Starbucks Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of Starbucks stock opened at $103.98 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $118.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 78.77, a PEG ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.98. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $102.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $98.34. Starbucks Corporation has a 52-week low of $77.99 and a 52-week high of $109.23.

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

Starbucks Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $0.62 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio is presently 187.88%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on SBUX. Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded shares of Starbucks from a “sector perform” rating to a “positive” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. UBS Group lowered Starbucks from a “neutral” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $108.00 target price (up from $101.00) on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. TD Cowen upgraded Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $106.00 to $120.00 in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $97.00 price target (up from $95.00) on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Starbucks currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $109.42.

Key Stories Impacting Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary say Starbucks’ turnaround under Brian Niccol is showing signs of progress, with shares near a 52-week high even after a tough profit comparison last year. Investors seem focused on whether the company can keep improving customer traffic and operating performance ahead of the next major test on July 29. Brian Niccol’s Starbucks Turnaround Is Quietly Working — Even With Profit Cut in Half. The July 29 Test Comes Next.
• Positive Sentiment: Another report said Starbucks raised its fiscal 2026 outlook, citing traffic gains, margin recovery, and cost savings. That supports the view that the company’s operational turnaround is gaining traction and could improve earnings expectations. Can Starbucks Turn Traffic Gains Into Sustainable Earnings Growth?
• Neutral Sentiment: Starbucks was also highlighted as a trending stock, reflecting elevated investor interest rather than a new fundamental catalyst. Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage on Starbucks’ lobbying spending and its five-year stock performance did not appear to introduce a new business catalyst, but it did keep the company in the news as investors weigh whether the turnaround can close the long-term performance gap. Guess How Much Starbucks Spends on Lobbying. Starbucks Stock (NASDAQ:SBUX) Gains Starbucks’ Stock Down 17% In Five Years
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks noted Starbucks may not have the right setup for an earnings beat in its upcoming report, which could temper enthusiasm if results disappoint expectations. Starbucks (SBUX) Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?

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.