Starbucks Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a roaster, marketer, and retailer of coffee worldwide. The company operates through three segments: North America, International, and Channel Development. Its stores offer coffee and tea beverages, roasted whole beans and ground coffees, single serve products, and ready-to-drink beverages; and various food products, such as pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and lunch items. The company also licenses its trademarks through licensed stores, and grocery and foodservice accounts. The company offers its products under the Starbucks Coffee, Teavana, Seattle's Best Coffee, Ethos, Starbucks Reserve, and Princi brands. Starbucks Corporation was founded in 1971 and is based in Seattle, Washington.

Starbucks looks like a high-quality but already expensive business, with noticeable pressure on the balance sheet and liquidity. Revenue and gross profit remain high, and the gross margin at 67.5% looks strong and supports the resilience of the model. At the same time, the net margin of 3.9% and operating margin of 7.6% are noticeably weaker than industry benchmarks and have deteriorated from the stronger levels at the beginning of the series, which limits re-rating potential. A P/E of 68.0, P/S of 2.64, and P/FCF of 43.3 are significantly above the industry median, so the market is already pricing in a high level of expectations. The trajectory of the multiples does not provide a convincing signal of further valuation expansion: they remain elevated, meaning the margin of safety on the stock price is limited. Liquidity is weak: a current ratio of 0.92 and quick ratio of 0.73 are below comfortable levels, increasing sensitivity to operational disruptions and seasonality. Long-term debt of $13.1 billion combined with negative shareholders’ equity points to a structurally strained balance sheet, even if the absolute debt burden does not look extreme for the scale of the business. ROA of 4.66 and ROI of 24.7 show that assets and capital are still generating an acceptable return, but this does not offset the expensive valuation and weak liquidity. Net income and operating profit remain positive, but the earnings and margin trajectory does not look strong enough to justify an aggressive increase in the target price. Dividend yield has fallen to zero on a TTM basis, so the dividend factor is not currently supporting the investment case. Overall, the fundamentals justify a moderately cautious downward adjustment rather than an upward revision of the forecast. For an investor, this is a story of a strong brand and resilient revenue, but with limited upside due to a high valuation and balance sheet risks.

Starbucks Corporation

Сильный индекс, значительно упал. Быки в растерянности.

Strong index, significantly down. The bulls are confused.

Слабый индекс, значительно вырос. Рынок на стороне быков.

Weak index, significantly up. The market is on the bulls' side.

Средний индекс, значительно вырос. Увеличился приток средств в лонги.

Medium index, significantly up. The inflow of funds into longs has increased.

A strong brand and high gross margin are matched by a rich valuation, weak liquidity, and a strained balance sheet, so the upside potential appears limited.

Key Points
Starbucks sales, profits, and comps growth all exceeded Wall Street's expectations.
CEO Brian Niccol's "Back to Starbucks" turnaround is delivering as promised.
The company admits there's still more work to do.
Once upon a time, Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) was about as close to a "sure thing" you could get in investing. However, after years of dependable increases, its growth stalled, as cool as day-old joe.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
The company swung for the fences, tapping former Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol to put things right, and his efforts are beginning to pay off. Starbucks faced a crucial test when the company reported after the market close on Wednesday, and the results were positively steamy.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
For the company's fiscal 2026 third quarter (ended June 28), Starbucks generated net revenue that declined 1% year over year to $9.3 billion, reflecting the divestiture of its Starbucks China operation. This fueled earnings per share (EPS) of $0.91, up 86%, while adjusted EPS of $0.85 climbed 70%.
To give these results context, analysts' consensus estimates were calling for revenue of $9.12 billion and adjusted EPS of $0.65, so Starbucks sailed past Wall Street's expectations.
The results were fueled by comparable-store sales (comps) that climbed 7.9%, as customers visited its shops more often and spent more money when they did. That drove a a 4.2% increase in transactions and a 3.5% increase in the average ticket.
The details showed clear signs that Starbucks' recovery is on track. Comps in North America -- the company's biggest market -- increased 8.1%, driven by a 4.5% increase in transactions and 3.5% increase in the average ticket. At the same time, international comps improved 5.7%, as transactions increased 2.6% and ticket total increased 3.1%. Management noted that this marked the fourth consecutive quarter of global comp growth, as well as two consecutive quarters of margin expansion.
Niccol commented on the results, saying, "Our Back to Starbucks plan was built on the belief that an extraordinary cup of coffee, human connection, and customer experience win the day, every day. Our third quarter results are proof they do." He went on to note that while there was more work to be done, Starbucks' goal was to become "the world's greatest customer service company."
The company also opened 175 net new stores in Q3, bringing its total to 41,304 locations worldwide.
Starbucks completed the previously announced joint venture (JV) with Boyu Capital, which now operates the coffee chain's retail stores in China. To that end, Boyu Capital owns a 60% stake in Starbucks China, while Starbucks owns a 40% stake, retaining ownership of the brand licensing and intellectual property.
Most interesting to shareholders (myself included) is management's perspective on the future. The company increased its full-year 2026 outlook and is now guiding for U.S. and global comps of 6% or more, up from its forecast of 5% growth delivered in Q2.
Earlier this month, Starbucks announced a quarterly dividend of $0.62, payable on Aug. 28, to shareholders of record as of Aug. 14. The 87% increase in net income to $1.05 billion was more than enough to cover the company's quarterly dividend obligation, which totaled roughly $709 million.
CFO Cathy Smith had previously stated, "We've been clear that top-line improvement would come first, with earnings growth to follow." The company has now made good on that promise, but investors should continue to monitor profitability to ensure the company can not only maintain the dividend at its current level but also generate sufficient earnings for future increases.
It's been roughly 21 months since Niccol came on board, and since then, Starbucks has delivered steady operational improvements. Those results are translating to better financial results.
This has made the stock as hot as a piping cup of java. It has also fueled a caffeine-fueled spike in the company’s valuation, as it’s now selling for 35 times next year's expected earnings. However, if Starbucks can continue to boost its comps and expand its margins, the multiple could turn out to be pretty reasonable.
Should you buy stock in Starbucks right now?
Before you buy stock in Starbucks, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Starbucks wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $390,394!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,209,184!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 899% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 206% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of July 29, 2026.
Danny Vena, CPA has positions in Chipotle Mexican Grill and Starbucks. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill and Starbucks. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: short September 2026 $35 calls on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Starbucks Raises Its Full-Year Guidance as Comparable Store Sales Jump 7.9%. Here’s What Investors Need to Know.

Wednesday, July 29th, 2026
A very eventful Hump Day has transpired in today’s trading session, particularly upon the press conference following the Fed monetary policy decision today, which kept interest rates steady once again. Earnings reports for the Mag 7 and more followed the closing bell, with drastically mixed results.
FOMC Decides to Hold Rates at +3.50-3.75%
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) has once again voted to keep the ongoing +3.50-3.75% Fed funds rate in place, for now the fifth-straight meeting. The statement issued by the Fed was once again short on words and devoid of guidance, although it did include three dissents — Cleveland’s Beth Hammack, Minneapolis’ Neel Kashkari and Dallas’ Lorie Logan all voted for a 25 basis-point (bps) hike. These are the same Fed members who voted to remove the “downward bias” language from the final FOMC statement under ex-Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s tenure.
That said, there were some real keys to what the Fed considers important: its “2 percent goal” (notice no decimal placement) was cited directly. “There is no soft inflation target… (nor) a soft implicit target,” is how the Fed Chair characterized this in his presser, which gives credence to the idea that the +2.0% interest rate target under Powell remains intact. The culprit, then, for this higher-than-optimal inflation came from “supply shocks that have driven price increases” — meaning, perhaps especially, oil price increases based on the war in Iran, which is as close as the Fed came to saying that present inflation is “transitory.”
Warsh was not big on giving keen insights into the decisions on the Fed’s current monetary policy as he speaks to the Wall Street press pool. In fact, he proved quite adept and speaking at length without betraying any new information not seen in the brief statement. Bond markets were not pleased with his performance, however: the 10-year yield ramped up from +4.63% earlier in the day to +4.69% as of the end of trading. The 2-year slid a tad to +4.26%, marking the first time in several session the yield curve has been more than 40 bps.
Likely, Warsh’s majority decision demonstrates a hopefulness about a timely end to the aggressions in and around Iran, which affect oil prices every time the Strait of Hormuz chokes off its normal traffic levels. (It would have been nice to get some confirmation on this from Warsh himself.) There seems to be little appetite for dampening economic output while the events in Iran remain up in the air.
Earnings Reports After the Bell: META, MSFT, QCOM & More
Meta Platforms META shares are down another -7% in the after-market today, following mixed fiscal Q2 results. Earnings took a couple big one-time hits and came in nearly a buck light of the Zacks consensus to $6.18 per share, missing on the bottom line for the first time since 2022. Revenues of $60.80 billion surpassed the $6.21 billion — well above the $47.52 billion brought in a year ago.
CapEx remained high but didn’t get revised upward on the top end (it did raise on the bottom end): $130-145 billion for the current fiscal year, with free cash flow remaining positive at $784 million. Daily Active People bounced back from its first-ever drop a quarter ago to 3.6 billion. Revenue guidance was lackluster, so the shares are digging the hole deeper, year to date.
Microsoft MSFT was also impacted by one-time items on its bottom line, but these were to the positive, including a $3.2 billion gain from Anthropic. Earnings overall reached $4.74 per share on $90.01 billion in revenues, easily bettering the estimates of $4.21 per share and $87.44 billion, respectively. CapEx spending was in-line at $41 billion, on pace for its guided full-year rate of $190 billion. Azure growth was strong, +43%, while Co-Pilot seats have doubled in the past three quarters.
Qualcomm QCOM shares are off their late-market lows, -4.4%, on a one-cent miss on earnings to $2.21 per share, down -20% year over year. Revenues, on the other hand, reached $9.95 billion, well ahead of the $9.71 billion in the Zacks consensus. Next-quarter earnings guidance lowered to $2.15 per share at the midpoint, as Chinese smartphone business fell in the quarter. Qualcomm intends to shift toward non-handset chips as its main revenue source in the future.
Starbucks SBUX was also mixed in its fiscal Q3 report today, beating solidly on earnings — +85 cents per share, versus +66 cents expected, up from 50 cents per share a year ago. Revenues of $9.3 billion, however, were below the $9.44 billion analysts were expecting. It’s the fourth-straight month of comp growth, meaning CEO Brian Niccol’s turnaround looks to be in effect. Shares are up nearly +7% on the news.
Speaking of Brian Niccol, his former company, Chipotle Mexican Grill CMG posted modest outperformance on both top and bottom lines this afternoon, beating on the bottom line by a penny to $0.33 per share on revenues of $3.35 billion, a smidge above the $3.32 billion anticipated. Comps sales rose +2.2% in the quarter. Notably, no cyclospora contagion hit the company during the Q2. Shares are up +2.7% on the news.
Questions or comments about this article and/or author? Click here>>
Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.
Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners Up
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

FOMC Holds, Market Folds, Q2 Earnings Mostly Bold

(RTTNews) - Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) revealed a profit for its third quarter that Increases, from the same period last year
The company's earnings came in at $1.045 billion, or $0.91 per share. This compares with $558.3 million, or $0.49 per share, last year.
Excluding items, Starbucks Corp. reported adjusted earnings of $0.85 per share for the period.
The company's revenue for the period fell 1.4% to $9.322 billion from $9.456 billion last year.
Starbucks Corp. earnings at a glance (GAAP) :
-Earnings: $1.045 Bln. vs. $558.3 Mln. last year. -EPS: $0.91 vs. $0.49 last year. -Revenue: $9.322 Bln vs. $9.456 Bln last year.
-Guidance: Full year EPS guidance: $ 2.55 To $ 2.65
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Starbucks Corp. Reveals Climb In Q3 Income

The following companies are expected to report earnings after hours on 07/29/2026. Visit our Earnings Calendar for a full list of expected earnings releases.
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The computer software company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 15 analysts that follow the stock is $4.21. This value represents a 15.34% increase compared to the same quarter last year. In the past year MSFT has beat the expectations every quarter. The highest one was in the 1st calendar quarter where they beat the consensus by 4.91%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for MSFT is 23.55 vs. an industry ratio of 20.40, implying that they will have a higher earnings growth than their competitors in the same industry.
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The internet software company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 13 analysts that follow the stock is $7.10. This value represents a 0.56% decrease compared to the same quarter last year. In the past year META has beat the expectations every quarter. The highest one was in the 1st calendar quarter where they beat the consensus by 8.94%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for META is 20.18 vs. an industry ratio of 143.20.
Lam Research Corporation (LRCX)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The electric company company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 9 analysts that follow the stock is $1.69. This value represents a 27.07% increase compared to the same quarter last year. In the past year LRCX has beat the expectations every quarter. The highest one was in the 1st calendar quarter where they beat the consensus by 8.09%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for LRCX is 47.47 vs. an industry ratio of 28.70, implying that they will have a higher earnings growth than their competitors in the same industry.
Arm Holdings plc (ARM)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The electric company company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 4 analysts that follow the stock is $0.18. This value represents a 12.50% increase compared to the same quarter last year. ARM missed the consensus earnings per share in the 1st calendar quarter of 2026 by -5.26%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2027 Price to Earnings ratio for ARM is 218.52 vs. an industry ratio of 28.70, implying that they will have a higher earnings growth than their competitors in the same industry.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The electric company company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 8 analysts that follow the stock is $1.54. This value represents a 32.75% decrease compared to the same quarter last year. In the past year QCOM has met analyst expectations once and beat the expectations the other three quarters. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for QCOM is 20.41 vs. an industry ratio of 28.70.
Starbucks Corporation (SBUX)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The restaurant company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 11 analysts that follow the stock is $0.66. This value represents a 32.00% increase compared to the same quarter last year. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for SBUX is 42.78 vs. an industry ratio of -4.90, implying that they will have a higher earnings growth than their competitors in the same industry.
Fortinet, Inc. (FTNT)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The security company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 11 analysts that follow the stock is $0.66. This value represents a 13.79% increase compared to the same quarter last year. In the past year FTNT has beat the expectations every quarter. The highest one was in the 1st calendar quarter where they beat the consensus by 37.74%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for FTNT is 53.56 vs. an industry ratio of 254.80.
Equinix, Inc. (EQIX)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The reit company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 5 analysts that follow the stock is $10.14. This value represents a 2.32% increase compared to the same quarter last year. In the past year EQIX has beat the expectations every quarter. The highest one was in the 1st calendar quarter where they beat the consensus by 9.54%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for EQIX is 27.06 vs. an industry ratio of 14.00, implying that they will have a higher earnings growth than their competitors in the same industry.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (CP)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The transportation (rail) company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 7 analysts that follow the stock is $0.89. This value represents a 9.88% increase compared to the same quarter last year. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for CP is 24.85 vs. an industry ratio of 18.00, implying that they will have a higher earnings growth than their competitors in the same industry.
O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. (ORLY)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The wholesale retail company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 10 analysts that follow the stock is $0.85. This value represents a 8.97% increase compared to the same quarter last year. ORLY missed the consensus earnings per share in the 4th calendar quarter of 2025 by -1.39%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for ORLY is 28.14 vs. an industry ratio of 20.20, implying that they will have a higher earnings growth than their competitors in the same industry.
Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The investment bankers company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 5 analysts that follow the stock is $0.43. This value represents a 2.38% increase compared to the same quarter last year. HOOD missed the consensus earnings per share in the 1st calendar quarter of 2026 by -5%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for HOOD is 47.57 vs. an industry ratio of 16.90, implying that they will have a higher earnings growth than their competitors in the same industry.
Deutsche Bank AG (DB)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The bank (foreign) company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 2 analysts that follow the stock is $0.91. This value represents a 68.52% increase compared to the same quarter last year. DB missed the consensus earnings per share in the 2nd calendar quarter of 2025 by -30.77%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for DB is 9.04 vs. an industry ratio of 12.20.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

After-Hours Earnings Report for July 29, 2026 : MSFT, META, LRCX, ARM, QCOM, SBUX, FTNT, EQIX, CP, ORLY, HOOD, DB

Pre-market futures are flat-to-down ahead of today’s open, with overseas turbulence in the memory chip market reverberating on domestic shores. We also see something of a hesitation in trading ahead of this afternoon’s Fed decision on interest rates. The Dow is off -340 points at this hour, the tech-heavy Nasdaq is -7, while the S&P 500 and small-cap Russell 2000 are flat.
Saudi Arabia attacked Iran-backed forced in Iraq, demonstrating a further widening of the conflict that originally had been contained to the U.S. and Israel versus Iran. Spot oil prices are back up again this morning, but still just in the $80s per barrel (/bbl); a week ago, Brent crude had surged back over $100/bbl.
South Korean Finance Takes Measures to Calm Market
The finance minister of South Korea overnight has initiated caps on single-stock leveraged ETFs — a clear move to quiet market volatility related to SK Hynix (SKHY), one of the top memory chip producers in the world, which is a key component in the AI trade. The Korean stock market, KOSPI, was down another -6%, -15% over the last week.
This is reportedly the first time the country has applied the breaks to a particular stock trading entity, and it comes the day SK Hynix missed on both top and bottom lines in its first publicly trading earnings report this morning. Both operating profits and sales, however, rose triple-digits in the quarter. The company, one of the biggest suppliers to NVIDIA (NVDA), is down -1% on the news, -22% since its IPO less than three weeks ago.
FOMC Decision: No Longer a Slam Dunk?
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) concludes its fifth meeting so far in 2026, and the first one where analysts have an inkling something might change on the Fed funds rate. Particularly, a quarter-points rate hike has been bandied about as a possibility today over the past week or so, likely due to inflation rates dancing up around +4% over the past couple months and uncertainties around the Strait of Hormuz.
With Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s new methodology intentionally less transparent than the last three Fed chairs (Ben Bernanke, Janet Yellen and Jerome Powell), it’s tough to get a read on what results his leadership will glean this afternoon at 2pm ET. But from this vista, despite whether more hawkish members of the Fed cast their votes to raise interest rates, it’s hard to see a Warsh-led consensus bringing this about so early into his tenure. Unless he’s looking for a fight from President Trump.
Q2 Roundup at a Glance: PG, HUM & More
Procter & Gamble (PG) beat on fiscal Q4 earnings this morning by 2 cents per share, while missing slightly on its top line to $21.2 billion, above the $20.89 billion reported a year ago.
Health insurance giant Humana (HUM) posted a huge Q2 earnings beat this morning: $7.61 per share versus $6.22 in the Zacks consensus, for a +22.35% positive earnings surprise. Revenues of $40.89 billion outpaced expectations by +0.59%.
Biotech major Biogen (BIIB) provided one of the strongest quarterly reports of the morning, with Q2 earnings of $3.60 per share well above the $3.04 projected, on revenues of $2.74 billion which outperformed estimates by +9.4%.
Vans, Timberland and The North Face parent V.F. Corp. (VFC) posted its first earnings miss in the last four quarters: -$0.27 per share versus -$0.22 expected. Revenues of $1.67 billion was -0.29% below consensus.
After the close, we’ll see results from two key “Mag 7” companies, Microsoft (MSFT) and Meta Platforms (META), In addition, reports are also due from Qualcomm (QCOM) and Starbucks (SBUX), among others, this afternoon.
Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.
Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners Up
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Biogen Inc. (BIIB) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Q2 Earnings Season in Full Swing

Wednesday, July 29th, 2026
Pre-market futures are flat-to-down ahead of today’s open, with overseas turbulence in the memory chip market reverberating on domestic shores. We also see something of a hesitation in trading ahead of this afternoon’s Fed decision on interest rates. The Dow is off -340 points at this hour, the tech-heavy Nasdaq is -7, while the S&P 500 and small-cap Russell 2000 are flat.
Saudi Arabia attacked Iran-backed forced in Iraq, demonstrating a further widening of the conflict that originally had been contained to the U.S. and Israel versus Iran. Spot oil prices are back up again this morning, but still just in the $80s per barrel (/bbl); a week ago, Brent crude had surged back over $100/bbl.
South Korean Finance Takes Measures to Calm Market
The finance minister of South Korea overnight has initiated caps on single-stock leveraged ETFs — a clear move to quiet market volatility related to SK Hynix SKHY, one of the top memory chip producers in the world, which is a key component in the AI trade. The Korean stock market, KOSPI, was down another -6%, -15% over the last week.
This is reportedly the first time the country has applied the breaks to a particular stock trading entity, and it comes the day SK Hynix missed on both top and bottom lines in its first publicly trading earnings report this morning. Both operating profits and sales, however, rose triple-digits in the quarter. The company, one of the biggest suppliers to NVIDIA NVDA, is down -1% on the news, -22% since its IPO less than three weeks ago.
FOMC Decision: No Longer a Slam Dunk?
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) concludes its fifth meeting so far in 2026, and the first one where analysts have an inkling something might change on the Fed funds rate. Particularly, a quarter-points rate hike has been bandied about as a possibility today over the past week or so, likely due to inflation rates dancing up around +4% over the past couple months and uncertainties around the Strait of Hormuz.
With Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s new methodology intentionally less transparent than the last three Fed chairs (Ben Bernanke, Janet Yellen and Jerome Powell), it’s tough to get a read on what results his leadership will glean this afternoon at 2pm ET. But from this vista, despite whether more hawkish members of the Fed cast their votes to raise interest rates, it’s hard to see a Warsh-led consensus bringing this about so early into his tenure. Unless he’s looking for a fight from President Trump.
Q2 Roundup at a Glance: PG, HUM & More
Procter & Gamble PG beat on fiscal Q4 earnings this morning by 2 cents per share, while missing slightly on its top line to $21.2 billion, above the $20.89 billion reported a year ago. For more on PG’s earnings, click here.
Health insurance giant Humana HUM posted a huge Q2 earnings beat this morning: $7.61 per share versus $6.22 in the Zacks consensus, for a +22.35% positive earnings surprise. Revenues of $40.89 billion outpaced expectations by +0.59%. For more on HUM’s earnings, click here.
Biotech major Biogen BIIB provided one of the strongest quarterly reports of the morning, with Q2 earnings of $3.60 per share well above the $3.04 projected, on revenues of $2.74 billion which outperformed estimates by +9.4%. For more on BIIB’s earnings, click here.
Vans, Timberland and The North Face parent V.F. Corp. VFC posted its first earnings miss in the last four quarters: -$0.27 per share versus -$0.22 expected. Revenues of $1.67 billion was -0.29% below consensus. For more on VFC’s earnings, click here.
After the close, we’ll see results from two key “Mag 7” companies, Microsoft MSFT and Meta Platforms META, In addition, reports are also due from Qualcomm QCOM and Starbucks SBUX, among others, this afternoon.
Questions or comments about this article and/or author? Click here>>
Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.
Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners Up
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Investors Await Fed Decision Today

(RTTNews) - Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) will host a conference call at 4:15 PM ET on July 29, 2026, to discuss Q3 26 earnings results.
To access the live webcast, log on to https://investor.starbucks.com/events-presentations/default.aspx
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Starbucks Q3 26 Earnings Conference Call At 4:15 PM ET

This is a big week in the second quarter earnings season as over 700 companies are expected to report earnings, including many S&P 500 companies. That includes four of the Magnificent 7 stocks: Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, and Meta Platforms.
But what if the Mag 7 companies report earnings and no one cares? Attention is now routinely turning to other companies outside of the trillion-dollar market cap companies. That’s true this week as well.
Big Week for Earnings in Every Industry
Every industry will be reporting this week including key restaurants like Chipotle, Wingstop and Starbucks, financials such as Visa and Mastercard, important AI infrastructure companies like Vertiv and MasTec, lots of auto retailers like Carvana and Lithia Motors, gold miners like Eldorado and Kinross, and shoe retailers including Crocs, Boot Barn and Steve Madden.
It’s difficult to narrow it down to just five companies but these are the must-watch earnings reports this week.
5 Top Earnings Charts to Watch This Week
1. Visa Inc. (V)
Visa is the ultimate earnings all-star. It has never missed on earnings since its 2008 IPO. That’s an incredible record that will stand for many years.
Shares of Visa are up 8% in the last month but only 2.9% over the last year. Earnings are expected to rise 14.4% this year and another 13.4% next year. Visa trades with a forward P/E of 27.
Visa is trading near its all-time high, even as it seems to be treading water. Is it ready to break out again?
2. Lam Research Corp. (LRCX)
Lam Research is an earnings all-star. It has only missed once on earnings in the last five years and it was in 2022. That is an incredible track record.
Earnings are expected to jump 37.2% this year and another 39.3% in 2027. But shares of Lam Research have sold off. It’s now down 30.5% in the last month but was down “only” 17.2% when the video was recorded on July 27, 2026. Lam Research is still up 167% over the last year.
Lam Research now trades with a forward P/E of 36.7. It did trade in the 40s just a month ago.
Is Lam Research on sale?
3. Starbucks Corp. (SBUX)
Starbucks is in the middle of a corporate turnaround. It beat on earnings last quarter after having missed four quarters in a row prior to that. CEO Brian Niccol has been at the helm since 2024. Expectations are growing regarding the turnaround.
Earnings are expected to rise 13.2% in 2026 after falling 35.6% in 2025. Shares of Starbucks are up 10.2% in the last year. It’s not cheap, however. Starbucks trades with a forward P/E of 42.8.
Will the Starbucks turnaround gain momentum this year?
4. Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD)
Robinhood is coming off of an earnings miss last quarter, after beating on earnings 5 quarters in a row prior to that miss.
Earnings are expected to decline 9.3% this year but rebound 39.8% in 2027. Shares of Robinhood have struggled in the last year, falling 6.9% in that time. It’s not cheap, though. Robinhood trades with a forward P/E of 51.
Will Robinhood get back on track with an earnings beat this quarter?
5. MasTec, Inc. (MTZ)
MasTec has only missed once on earnings in five years and that was in 2023. That’s impressive. MasTec is an AI Revolution stock as it’s building the data centers.
Earnings are expected to jump 46.3% this year and another 52% in 2027. Shares of MasTec soared over the last year but have plunged 20% in the prior month as investors have sold the AI Revolution stocks.
MasTec is now trading with a forward P/E of 35.
Is MasTec on sale?
[In full disclosure, Tracey owns shares of SBUX in her personal portfolio.]
Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is Here
The AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. AI’s second wave is moving from infrastructure to implementation and these companies are at the forefront of this transition, positioned to become what Amazon and Google were to the internet era.
See Stocks Now >>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
MasTec, Inc. (MTZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Forget the Mag 7. Watch These 5 Top Earnings Charts Instead

Key Points
The company had a fine second quarter, and investors will be hoping for a repeat.
That was a beat-and-raise frame for the ubiquitous java slinger.
On Thursday, we’ll get a clearer picture of how the turnaround story at Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) is progressing. The coffee slinger is scheduled to publish its fiscal third-quarter results after market close tomorrow (Wednesday, July 29).
So far this year, the stock is up by more than 23%, crushing the 8% growth of the bellwether S&P 500 index. That’s made it expensive in terms of valuations. The upcoming earnings report will show whether the company can maintain momentum while its “Back to Starbucks” strategy is still brewing.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks »
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Caffeinated numbers
Collectively, analysts expect Starbucks to post just over $9.1 billion in revenue and $0.65 per share in net income. That’s nearly 4% below the company’s third-quarter fiscal 2025 figure (although this will likely be due mainly to changes in the China business; more on that in a moment). On the flip side, that bottom-line projection would be a sweet 30% improvement over the year-ago number.
Back to Starbucks, the return-to-growth strategy that’s been the defining feature of CEO Brian Niccol’s tenure, has been producing results lately. At least, that’s according to the company, which attributed its solid second-quarter performance to the initiative.
Personally, I’ve seen at least a few of the program’s goals — more comfortable and welcoming interiors, quicker order implementation, etc. — in effect at several of my local cafes in California. So I think Back to Starbucks is a sensible program, and the company is executing it effectively.
While I doubt it’s the only reason for the improvements the company posted in the second quarter, growth was impressive. That period saw Starbucks increase net revenue by nearly 9% year over year (to over $9.5 billion) on the back of a 7% rise in comparable sales. Both growth rates rose steadily across the last four quarters. Meanwhile, net earnings not under generally accepted accounting principles (non-GAAP, or adjusted) raced 22% higher to $0.50 per share.
Management also raised certain full-year 2026 guidance items. Its “comps” were adjusted to at least 5% over the 2025 tally, from the previous forecast of more than 3%. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) are now expected to land at $2.25 to $2.45, compared to the preceding guidance of $2.15 to $2.40.
Increasingly dependent on domestic business
There was much to like in Starbucks’ second quarter, and there should be some encouraging numbers in the subsequent frame. To me, though, there are areas of concern I think all Starbucks-watchers should keep an eye on.
One is international sales. Much of the company’s second-quarter growth came from its North America outlets, where same-cafe growth was over 7%, fueled by a 4.4% rise in number of transactions and a 2.7% improvement in average “ticket” (i.e., customer spend per purchase). The numbers for international cafes were notably lower, at a respective 2.6%, 2.1%, and 0.5%. Worse, Starbucks’ once-great hope for its business abroad, China, posted 0.5%, 2.1%, and a decline of 1.6%, respectively.
Starbucks is letting go of China to some extent; in early April, it completed the shift of its business there to a 60/40 joint venture, majority-owned by the private equity firm Boyu Capital. The U.S. company will no longer book register sales as part of its overall revenue; instead, it’ll earn royalty fees and a 40% share of net profit. So beware — certain China figures starting in the third quarter will be notably lower.
That leaves the North America business as more of a core for the company than it’s been in many years. And, if anything, Starbucks has been closing locations rather than opening new ones (it boasted only 11 net new stores worldwide in the second quarter, for a total of 41,129).
Meaning that it’s in a position where it has to squeeze growth from a store base that will expand only modestly, at best. There are only so many operational efficiencies and improvements that can be made to effect this; ditto for price increases in an era of increasing consumer price consciousness. So it feels to me that those recently increasing growth numbers might wither or even go negative before long.
A high price to pay
My impression of the current state of Starbucks, then, is that it’s a mature business with a huge footprint that has little room to grow. The Back to Starbucks program has produced results, but I don’t envision those efficiency-fueled gains to continue at the recent pace. Meanwhile, the stock is priced for hot growth, with a forward P/E of almost 35, which I doubt will be matched by leaps in profitability.
Starbucks could very well meet or exceed its winning second quarter, but I still wouldn’t feel like it’s a solid, long-term growth story. I’m not enthusiastic about the stock now, and even an estimates-beating third frame isn’t going to sway me.
Should you buy stock in Starbucks right now?
Before you buy stock in Starbucks, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Starbucks wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $379,662!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,206,116!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 886% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 206% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Starbucks. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Is Starbucks's Stock a Buy Ahead of Its Q3 Earnings Report Tomorrow?

Key Points
The company had a fine second quarter, and investors will be hoping for a repeat.
That was a beat-and-raise frame for the ubiquitous java slinger.
We’ll soon get a clearer picture of how the turnaround story at Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) is progressing. The coffee slinger is scheduled to publish its fiscal third-quarter results after market close tomorrow (Wednesday, July 29).
So far this year, the stock is up by more than 23%, crushing the 8% growth of the bellwether S&P 500 index. That’s made it expensive in terms of valuations. The upcoming earnings report will show whether the company can maintain momentum while its “Back to Starbucks” strategy is still brewing.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks »
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Caffeinated numbers
Collectively, analysts expect Starbucks to post just over $9.1 billion in revenue and $0.65 per share in net income. That’s nearly 4% below the company’s third-quarter fiscal 2025 figure (although this will likely be due mainly to changes in the China business; more on that in a moment). On the flip side, that bottom-line projection would be a sweet 30% improvement over the year-ago number.
Back to Starbucks, the return-to-growth strategy that’s been the defining feature of CEO Brian Niccol’s tenure, has been producing results lately. At least, that’s according to the company, which attributed its solid second-quarter performance to the initiative.
Personally, I’ve seen at least a few of the program’s goals — more comfortable and welcoming interiors, quicker order implementation, etc. — in effect at several of my local cafes in California. So I think Back to Starbucks is a sensible program, and the company is executing it effectively.
While I doubt it’s the only reason for the improvements the company posted in the second quarter, growth was impressive. That period saw Starbucks increase net revenue by nearly 9% year over year (to over $9.5 billion) on the back of a 7% rise in comparable sales. Both growth rates rose steadily across the last four quarters. Meanwhile, net earnings not under generally accepted accounting principles (non-GAAP, or adjusted) raced 22% higher to $0.50 per share.
Management also raised certain full-year 2026 guidance items. Its “comps” were adjusted to at least 5% over the 2025 tally, from the previous forecast of more than 3%. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) are now expected to land at $2.25 to $2.45, compared to the preceding guidance of $2.15 to $2.40.
Increasingly dependent on domestic business
There was much to like in Starbucks’ second quarter, and there should be some encouraging numbers in the subsequent frame. To me, though, there are areas of concern I think all Starbucks-watchers should keep an eye on.
One is international sales. Much of the company’s second-quarter growth came from its North America outlets, where same-cafe growth was over 7%, fueled by a 4.4% rise in number of transactions and a 2.7% improvement in average “ticket” (i.e., customer spend per purchase). The numbers for international cafes were notably lower, at a respective 2.6%, 2.1%, and 0.5%. Worse, Starbucks’ once-great hope for its business abroad, China, posted 0.5%, 2.1%, and a decline of 1.6%, respectively.
Starbucks is letting go of China to some extent; in early April, it completed the shift of its business there to a 60/40 joint venture, majority-owned by the private equity firm Boyu Capital. The U.S. company will no longer book register sales as part of its overall revenue; instead, it’ll earn royalty fees and a 40% share of net profit. So beware — certain China figures starting in the third quarter will be notably lower.
That leaves the North America business as more of a core for the company than it’s been in many years. And, if anything, Starbucks has been closing locations rather than opening new ones (it boasted only 11 net new stores worldwide in the second quarter, for a total of 41,129).
Meaning that it’s in a position where it has to squeeze growth from a store base that will expand only modestly, at best. There are only so many operational efficiencies and improvements that can be made to effect this; ditto for price increases in an era of increasing consumer price consciousness. So it feels to me that those recently increasing growth numbers might wither or even go negative before long.
A high price to pay
My impression of the current state of Starbucks, then, is that it’s a mature business with a huge footprint that has little room to grow. The Back to Starbucks program has produced results, but I don’t envision those efficiency-fueled gains to continue at the recent pace. Meanwhile, the stock is priced for hot growth, with a forward P/E of almost 35, which I doubt will be matched by leaps in profitability.
Starbucks could very well meet or exceed its winning second quarter, but I still wouldn’t feel like it’s a solid, long-term growth story. I’m not enthusiastic about the stock now, and even an estimates-beating third frame isn’t going to sway me.
Should you buy stock in Starbucks right now?
Before you buy stock in Starbucks, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Starbucks wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $379,662!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,206,116!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 886% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 206% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of July 28, 2026.
Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Starbucks. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Starbucks Corporation

Trend

Trend Class

Trend Power

Pattern

EMA

EMA-20

EMA-50

EMA-100

EMA-20

EMA-50

EMA-100

Oscillators

Stochastic

RSI

MACD

Candle pattern type