Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) Shares Unloaded Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) recently sold shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX). In a filing disclosed on February 04th, the Senator disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Starbucks stock on January 9th.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Home Depot (NYSE:HD) on 1/9/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) on 1/9/2026.
• Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) on 1/9/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Guardant Health (NASDAQ:GH) on 11/21/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Hershey (NYSE:HSY) on 11/21/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of CocaCola (NYSE:KO) on 11/21/2025.

Starbucks Stock Performance

NASDAQ SBUX opened at $96.07 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $109.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 79.40, a PEG ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.96. Starbucks Corporation has a 52-week low of $75.50 and a 52-week high of $117.46. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $88.79 and a 200 day simple moving average of $87.20.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The coffee company reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.59 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $9.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.62 billion. Starbucks had a negative return on equity of 28.66% and a net margin of 3.63%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.69 EPS. Starbucks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.400 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.99 EPS for the current year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio is 204.96%.

Insider Transactions at Starbucks

In other news, Director Jorgen Vig Knudstorp acquired 11,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $85.00 per share, for a total transaction of $994,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 53,096 shares in the company, valued at $4,513,160. This represents a 28.26% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

More Starbucks News

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts maintain constructive views: consensus rating recently cited as a “Moderate Buy,” supporting investor confidence in recovery momentum. Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Longer‑run growth thesis reinforced: multiple pieces argue Starbucks can expand U.S. store base meaningfully (discussion of adding up to ~10,000 stores), which would support revenue and unit economics over time. Can Starbucks Open Another 10,000 Stores in the U.S.?
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum has returned YTD: one note highlights shares up ~13.7% year‑to‑date, which may attract momentum and growth investors. Starbucks Shares Are Up 13.7% Year-to-Date: Is It a Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and investor interest are high — several analyst and media pieces review the turnaround, but opinions vary; trending‑stock writeups summarize drivers without a clear near‑term catalyst. Here is What to Know Beyond Why Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Union activism remains a wildcard: reports of customer actions (“delete the app”) and striker campaigns create operational and PR uncertainty; market reactions have been mixed and episodic. “Delete the App”: Strikers Call on Customers to Help Advance Union, Starbucks Stock (NASDAQ:SBUX) Jumps in Response
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term promotional cost news: a Super Bowl “Free Coffee Monday” promotion and related marketing plans were cited as a reason for a near‑term stock dip because of potential margin pressure. “Free Coffee Monday”: Starbucks Stock (NASDAQ:SBUX) Slips on Plans to Win Super Bowl Monday
• Negative Sentiment: Insider/politician sell disclosures: recent STOCK Act filings show sales of SBUX by Senators (Capito, Whitehouse), which can spook some investors even if the trades are non‑material or routine. Congress Trade: Senator Shelley Moore Capito Just Disclosed New Stock Trades Congress Trade: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse Just Disclosed New Stock Trades
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish research: Citi issued a pessimistic price forecast, adding downward pressure by reminding investors of execution and valuation risks. Citigroup Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) Stock Price

Analyst Ratings Changes

SBUX has been the topic of several recent research reports. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Starbucks from $94.00 to $92.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Starbucks in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Evercore ISI restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Starbucks from $106.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Zacks Research raised Starbucks from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Starbucks presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $104.67.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Starbucks

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Narwhal Capital Management increased its position in shares of Starbucks by 39.6% during the 2nd quarter. Narwhal Capital Management now owns 32,738 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $3,000,000 after purchasing an additional 9,282 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its position in shares of Starbucks by 3.2% during the third quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 433,112 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $36,576,000 after acquiring an additional 13,262 shares during the last quarter. Morningstar Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Starbucks during the 2nd quarter worth about $653,000. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Starbucks by 3.1% in the third quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 548,768 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $46,426,000 after buying an additional 16,428 shares during the period. Finally, Pegasus Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Starbucks in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,289,000. Institutional investors own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

About Senator Whitehouse

Sheldon Whitehouse (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Rhode Island. He assumed office on January 3, 2007. His current term ends on January 3, 2031.

Whitehouse (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Rhode Island. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

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.