Pacer Advisors Inc. Has $8.61 Million Holdings in Starbucks Corporation $SBUX

Pacer Advisors Inc. lessened its holdings in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 44.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 96,113 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 76,803 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $8,611,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in SBUX. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Phillip James Consulting Co. acquired a new stake in Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in Starbucks in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Financial Freedom LLC grew its stake in shares of Starbucks by 296.2% during the first quarter. Financial Freedom LLC now owns 313 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 72.29% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Starbucks

Here are the key news stories impacting Starbucks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Improving traffic and earnings: Starbucks reported quarterly earnings of $0.85 per share, well above the $0.66 consensus estimate, while revenue of $9.32 billion also exceeded expectations. Management cited broader traffic gains, faster service and store upgrades as drivers of the recovery. Can Starbucks’ Raised 2026 Outlook Drive a Durable Earnings Recovery?
• Positive Sentiment: Higher fiscal 2026 outlook: Starbucks raised its fiscal 2026 earnings guidance to approximately $2.55-$2.65 per share. The upgrade reinforces expectations for a durable earnings recovery if sales momentum and margin improvement continue. SBUX Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Durable Traffic Recovery
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal product launch: The Pumpkin Spice Latte will return this month alongside new fall beverages, food and merchandise. The promotion could boost customer visits and average spending during an important seasonal period. Starbucks announces Pumpkin Spice Latte return date
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Melius Research upgraded SBUX from Sell to Hold after the strong quarterly results, while BTIG reiterated its Buy rating, reducing immediate bearish pressure.
• Neutral Sentiment: Store portfolio changes: Starbucks may close underperforming locations as it reshapes its large store base. Closures could improve efficiency and profitability, but they also highlight ongoing cost and traffic challenges. Starbucks CEO says your local store may not survive
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and competition remain concerns: Analysts argue that much of the recovery is already reflected in the share price, with Starbucks trading at a high earnings multiple. Rivals such as Dutch Bros are competing for growth, while Starbucks must sustain traffic gains and control costs to justify its premium valuation. Starbucks is recovering, but the stock looks fully priced

Insider Activity at Starbucks

In other Starbucks news, CEO Brady Brewer sold 2,229 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.00, for a total value of $231,816.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 77,364 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,045,856. The trade was a 2.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 4,458 shares of company stock valued at $445,412. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Scotiabank cut Starbucks from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Starbucks from $105.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. BNP Paribas Exane boosted their price objective on Starbucks from $87.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $117.00 target price on Starbucks and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley downgraded Starbucks from an “overweight” rating to an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $111.96.

Starbucks Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ SBUX opened at $104.97 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $102.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $99.33. The stock has a market cap of $119.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.97. Starbucks Corporation has a 52-week low of $77.99 and a 52-week high of $109.23.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The coffee company reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $9.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.50 earnings per share. Starbucks’s 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. Analysts predict that Starbucks Corporation will post 2.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Starbucks Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.62 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Starbucks’s payout ratio is presently 142.53%.

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.