Insider Trading March 9, 2026

Starbucks EVP Sells $242,800 in Stock as Company Posts Mixed Q1 Results

Sara Kelly executed a planned sale under a Rule 10b5-1 plan; Starbucks posted revenue above expectations but missed on EPS

By Marcus Reed SBUX
Starbucks EVP Sells $242,800 in Stock as Company Posts Mixed Q1 Results
SBUX

Sara Kelly, Executive Vice President and Chief Partner Officer at Starbucks Corporation, sold 2,500 shares on March 5, 2026, under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan for $242,800. After the sale she directly owns 59,608.5548 shares. The stock has risen to $99.77 and is up 20.68% over six months as the company navigates a mixed first-quarter fiscal 2026 report that beat revenue expectations but missed on earnings per share.

Key Points

  • Sara Kelly sold 2,500 Starbucks shares on March 5, 2026 at $97.12 each, totaling $242,800; sale executed under a Rule 10b5-1 plan adopted December 3, 2025.
  • After the sale Kelly directly owns 59,608.5548 shares, which include 40.385 shares bought through the Starbucks Employee Stock Purchase Plan on December 31, 2025 and 510.797 dividend-equivalent shares on unvested time-based restricted stock units.
  • Starbucks reported Q1 fiscal 2026 EPS of $0.56 (below expectations of $0.59) and revenue of $9.9 billion (above the $9.62 billion estimate); the stock is trading at $99.77 and up 20.68% over six months, with a market capitalization of $113.68 billion.

Transaction details

Sara Kelly, who serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Partner Officer at Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX), sold 2,500 shares of Starbucks common stock on March 5, 2026. The shares were sold at $97.12 apiece, yielding total proceeds of $242,800. The disposition was carried out under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan that Kelly adopted on December 3, 2025.

Post-sale holdings

Following the transaction, Kelly directly holds 59,608.5548 shares of Starbucks common stock. That total includes 40.385 shares acquired on December 31, 2025 through the Starbucks Employee Stock Purchase Plan, and 510.797 shares recorded as dividend equivalents on unvested, time-based restricted stock units.

Share performance and company size

Since the sale, Starbucks shares have risen to $99.77. Over the past six months the stock is up 20.68%, as the $113.68 billion coffee company continues its recovery.

Recent financials and strategic notes

Starbucks reported mixed results for the first quarter of fiscal 2026. The company posted earnings per share of $0.56, below analyst expectations of $0.59. Revenue for the quarter totaled $9.9 billion, topping forecasts of $9.62 billion.

In its international operations, Starbucks is continuing to expand its store footprint in India and is introducing new products there despite widening losses in the market. The company has prioritized growth in that market over near-term profitability, according to the information provided.

Analyst moves and outlook commentary

Guggenheim adjusted its forecasts for Starbucks, raising its fiscal second-quarter U.S. same-store sales forecast to 4.8% while trimming earnings-per-share estimates for fiscal years 2026, 2027 and 2028 by $0.05 each. Wolfe Research initiated coverage of the company with a Peerperform rating, noting Starbucks’ ongoing multi-year turnaround efforts. Bernstein reiterated an Outperform rating and maintained a $100 price target, citing the company’s ambition to reach $3.35 to $4.00 in earnings per share by 2028 through a combination of revenue growth and operating margin expansion.

Industry context per InvestingPro

According to InvestingPro, Starbucks remains a prominent company within the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry and has increased its dividend for 16 consecutive years. The platform also indicates there are additional ProTips and in-depth Pro Research Reports available for subscribers seeking further analysis.

What the filing shows and what remains unchanged

The transaction was executed under a pre-established trading plan, and the post-sale holdings reflect share purchases through the employee stock purchase plan and dividend equivalents on restricted stock units. Beyond the facts reported here, no additional judgments about motives or future insider activity are provided in the filings summarized.

Risks

  • Earnings-per-share for Q1 fiscal 2026 missed analysts’ expectations, which presents near-term performance risk for investor sentiment in the consumer discretionary and restaurants sectors.
  • Starbucks is widening losses in India even as it expands store count and product offerings, indicating market-specific profitability risk in international operations.
  • Guggenheim’s reductions to EPS estimates for fiscal years 2026-2028 introduce forecast uncertainty that could affect valuation and expectations across the hospitality and leisure industry.

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