HS Management Partners LLC Makes New $5.80 Million Investment in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

HS Management Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 56,808 shares of the coffee company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,805,000. Starbucks makes up about 2.0% of HS Management Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest position.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of SBUX. Sunbelt Securities Inc. increased its position in Starbucks by 1.0% during the first quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 9,473 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $849,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the period. Webster Bank N. A. boosted its holdings in Starbucks by 7.8% in the 2nd quarter. Webster Bank N. A. now owns 1,396 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $143,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. Nilsine Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Starbucks by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Nilsine Partners LLC now owns 10,039 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $1,026,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. Beta Wealth Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Starbucks by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Beta Wealth Group Inc. now owns 6,216 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $635,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elgethun Capital Management grew its position in shares of Starbucks by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter. Elgethun Capital Management now owns 1,219 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $125,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about 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.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Starbucks from $108.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Stephens began coverage on Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. They set an “overweight” rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $126.00 price target on shares of Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Melius Research set a $110.00 price objective on Starbucks in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, DA Davidson lifted their price objective on Starbucks from $102.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $110.30.

Insider Buying and Selling at Starbucks

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

Starbucks Trading Up 3.0%

NASDAQ SBUX opened at $107.08 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $122.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 61.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.97. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $104.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $100.36. Starbucks Corporation has a 1 year low of $77.99 and a 1 year high of $110.51.

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

Starbucks Announces Dividend

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

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.