Updated: Friday, December 12, 2025
Ticker: Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX)
Starbucks stock ended the week on a steadier note after a choppy stretch that included a sharp early-week dip and a rebound into Friday’s close. Heading into next week, investors are weighing three near-term forces: labor headlines (as the workers’ strike expands), operational initiatives tied to CEO Brian Niccol’s “Back to Starbucks” turnaround, and macro data that can swing consumer-facing names.
SBUX closed Friday, Dec. 12 at $85.35, up modestly from last Friday’s $85.12, after falling as low as $82.28 on Tuesday before recovering across the rest of the week. [1]
Below is a detailed, publication-ready roundup of the latest Starbucks stock news, the drivers that mattered this week, and the setup for the week ahead.
Starbucks stock this week: a dip, then a rebound into Friday
SBUX’s week was defined by a quick selloff early and a methodical climb back:
- Dec. 5 close: $85.12
- Dec. 8 close: $83.41
- Dec. 9 close: $82.28 (weekly closing low)
- Dec. 10 close: $83.85
- Dec. 11 close: $84.74
- Dec. 12 close: $85.35 (week-ending close) [2]
That puts Starbucks stock up about $0.23 (+0.27%) from last week’s close to this week’s close—small in magnitude, but notable given the midweek drawdown. [3]
Even after the bounce, Starbucks remains well below its 52‑week peak: MarketWatch data this week noted the stock was 28.61% below its 52‑week high of $117.46 (hit earlier this year). [4]
The biggest Starbucks stock catalysts in the last few days
1) Labor: Starbucks strike expands again
The most market-relevant headline this week was labor-related. Reuters reported on Dec. 11 that Starbucks Workers United expanded a month-long strike to more cities, with hundreds of baristas across 34 U.S. cities escalating action. Reuters also reported the union said over 3,800 workers at more than 180 stores in 130 cities have participated, describing it as the longest work stoppage in the company’s history. [5]
Starbucks, in turn, emphasized limited operational impact—Reuters said the company stated fewer than 1% of its ~17,000 U.S. stores were affected—and reiterated it was open to returning to negotiations when the union is ready. [6]
Why it matters for SBUX stock:
Labor actions can hit investor sentiment even when direct revenue impact is limited, because they raise questions about staffing costs, store-level execution, and brand perception during peak seasonal demand.
2) Labor legal overhang: appeals court skepticism in Schultz case
Separate from the strike itself, Reuters also reported Dec. 2 that U.S. judges appeared skeptical of an NLRB finding involving former CEO Howard Schultz and alleged illegal threats related to union activity. [7]
Why it matters:
This isn’t an earnings-line item today, but it contributes to a continuing “headline risk” backdrop around Starbucks’ labor relations—an overhang that can influence multiples when investors are already debating whether the turnaround is durable.
Operational reset: Niccol’s “Back to Starbucks” initiatives stay in focus
3) Mobile-order upgrades: Starbucks tests scheduling orders ahead
Starbucks is also pushing operational improvements aimed at speed and order accuracy—issues that have been central to its recent customer experience challenges.
Nation’s Restaurant News reported on Dec. 11 that Starbucks is testing an ability to schedule orders ahead of time, citing CEO Brian Niccol speaking at a Wall Street Journal CEO Council Summit. [8]
Why it matters for investors:
This is the type of change that can move the needle if it reduces bottlenecks, improves throughput, and stabilizes customer satisfaction—especially given how critical mobile ordering is to Starbucks’ mix.
4) The “coffeehouse experience” push: competing on more than price
Restaurant Dive reported this week that Niccol has emphasized Starbucks’ on‑premise coffeehouse atmosphere as a differentiator versus less personal competitors. [9]
Why it matters:
Starbucks’ premium pricing depends on brand strength and experience. Any credible evidence that Starbucks can improve speed while making stores feel less “transactional” supports the bull case that traffic can stabilize without a margin-destroying discount cycle.
Product pipeline: winter menu and viral drinks aim to drive traffic
5) Starbucks previews Winter 2026 menu starting Jan. 6
Starbucks’ product news is also feeding the “traffic catalyst” narrative. Starbucks’ official newsroom previewed its Winter 2026 menu (launching Jan. 6, 2026) including returning pistachio items and new drinks inspired by viral customizations—such as Iced Dubai Chocolate Matcha and Iced Dubai Chocolate Mocha. [10]
Separately, Starbucks’ own “Year in sips” roundup highlighted the Dubai Chocolate-inspired Matcha Latte as its most viral drink creation of 2025 and confirmed the two Dubai Chocolate beverages are coming to the winter menu starting Jan. 6, 2026. [11]
Why it matters for SBUX:
New beverage cycles can drive incremental visits, especially when they connect with social trends. The risk is execution: complex drinks and high customization can slow lines, which is exactly what Starbucks is trying to fix. Investors will watch whether innovation and simplification can coexist.
Shareholder returns: Starbucks dividend remains a support pillar
6) Starbucks declares a $0.62 quarterly dividend
On the shareholder-return front, Starbucks announced on Dec. 2, 2025 that its board approved a $0.62 per share quarterly cash dividend, payable Feb. 27, 2026, to shareholders of record on Feb. 13, 2026. [12]
Why it matters:
A consistent dividend can reduce volatility for long-term holders, especially when the stock is in a turnaround phase and investors are waiting for cleaner margin expansion.
Legal: shareholder lawsuit survives dismissal motion
7) Starbucks must face shareholder lawsuit over surprise sales decline
A key legal headline from late November remains relevant as an overhang. Reuters reported Nov. 20 that Starbucks must face a shareholder lawsuit alleging it misled investors about declining sales in the U.S. and China, tied to a sharp stock move in 2024. [13]
Why it matters:
This doesn’t usually drive day-to-day trading unless there are major developments, but it can weigh on sentiment and create event-risk around legal milestones.
Wall Street forecasts: analyst targets and what they imply for SBUX
Analyst outlooks for Starbucks remain mixed—reflecting “show-me” skepticism about the turnaround, but also meaningful upside projections if execution improves.
- MarketWatch’s analyst page lists an average target price around $94.69 with an Overweight-leaning consensus (based on dozens of ratings). [14]
- MarketBeat’s compilation shows a higher average target of $101.44 (with a wide range across firms). [15]
How to read this for the week ahead:
Price targets are typically 12‑month views, not next-week calls. But they frame how quickly sentiment could change if Starbucks delivers clean evidence that throughput, staffing, and store-level service are improving without sacrificing margins.
The core debate behind the numbers
Investors are still triangulating around a few big questions:
- Can Starbucks grow transactions again without heavy discounting?
- Do labor investments and staffing model changes translate into measurable throughput gains?
- Does product innovation boost traffic—or add complexity that hurts speed?
- How fast can Starbucks stabilize and reshape China economics amid intense competition? (Starbucks’ China strategy has been a major storyline in recent quarters, including its joint venture announcement earlier this fall.) [16]
Technical and trading view: momentum improved, but signals are mixed
From a technical-indicator standpoint, some models leaned bullish as of Friday. Investing.com’s technical dashboard (dated Dec. 12) showed a “Strong Buy” style summary with RSI(14) around 62 and MACD pointing bullish. [17]
However, technical signals vary by provider and timeframe, and short-term indicators can flip quickly in a headline-driven tape—especially when macro data is heavy.
Simple, price-based levels investors watched this week:
- Near-term support: ~$82.28 (this week’s lowest close) [18]
- Near-term resistance: ~$85.35–$85.90 area (week-ending close and Friday’s intraday band) [19]
Starbucks stock week ahead: what could move SBUX next week
Looking to the week of Dec. 15–19, 2025, Starbucks-specific catalysts may be lighter than earlier in the quarter, but several drivers still matter.
1) Macro catalysts: retail sales and CPI can swing consumer names
Two U.S. economic releases stand out:
- U.S. retail sales: scheduled for Dec. 16, 2025 [20]
- U.S. CPI (November 2025): scheduled for Dec. 18, 2025 [21]
If inflation prints hotter than expected, rate expectations can rise—often pressuring consumer discretionary valuations. If consumer spending looks strong, it can support restaurant and beverage names, though investors may still separate “spend strength” from “Starbucks execution.”
2) Labor headlines remain a live variable
With the strike expanding as of Dec. 11, investors will watch:
- whether additional cities or stores join,
- whether negotiations restart, and
- whether Starbucks reports any meaningful disruption. [22]
3) Operational execution: order scheduling tests and store experience narrative
Next week, investors may look for follow-on reporting (or management commentary) about rollout timing and store-level impact of order-ahead scheduling and other throughput initiatives. [23]
4) Options market: implied range for SBUX into late December
The options market can offer a rough “expected move” framing. Barchart’s options overview for SBUX showed an expected move over the next several days of about $2.30 (2.70%), implying a range roughly around $83.05 to $87.65. [24]
This is not a prediction—just a snapshot of what options pricing implies about near-term volatility.
The next major date for Starbucks stock: earnings window and what to watch into it
The next major fundamental catalyst for Starbucks is the next earnings report (fiscal Q1 2026). The exact date is not yet universally consistent across calendars:
- Nasdaq shows an estimated earnings date of Jan. 27, 2026. [25]
- MarketChameleon lists an estimated window Jan. 27–Jan. 30, 2026 (not yet confirmed). [26]
- Some other market calendars point to early February timing. [27]
What investors typically want answered before that report:
- Are U.S. transactions stabilizing as the experience improves?
- Are mobile-order bottlenecks easing measurably?
- Is China performance improving (or at least de-risked) as strategic changes progress?
- Are commodity costs—especially coffee—pressuring margins, or being offset by pricing/mix and productivity?
For context on the turnaround narrative, Starbucks’ most recent full-year results (reported in late October) emphasized that “Back to Starbucks” momentum was building and highlighted the return to positive global comparable sales growth after several quarters. [28]
Bottom line: Starbucks stock enters next week in “wait and watch” mode
Starbucks (SBUX) closed Dec. 12 at $85.35 after recovering from a midweek low close near $82.28, leaving the stock modestly higher week-over-week. [29]
For the week ahead, the most important swing factors are likely to be:
- continued labor headlines and strike scope, [30]
- investor confidence in Niccol’s operational fixes (especially mobile and throughput), [31]
- and macro data (retail sales and CPI) shaping the broader risk appetite for consumer-facing equities. [32]
References
1. investor.starbucks.com, 2. investor.starbucks.com, 3. investor.starbucks.com, 4. www.marketwatch.com, 5. www.reuters.com, 6. www.reuters.com, 7. www.reuters.com, 8. www.nrn.com, 9. www.restaurantdive.com, 10. about.starbucks.com, 11. about.starbucks.com, 12. investor.starbucks.com, 13. www.reuters.com, 14. www.marketwatch.com, 15. www.marketbeat.com, 16. www.reuters.com, 17. www.investing.com, 18. investor.starbucks.com, 19. investor.starbucks.com, 20. www.investing.com, 21. www.bls.gov, 22. www.reuters.com, 23. www.nrn.com, 24. www.barchart.com, 25. www.nasdaq.com, 26. marketchameleon.com, 27. www.investing.com, 28. investor.starbucks.com, 29. investor.starbucks.com, 30. www.reuters.com, 31. www.nrn.com, 32. www.investing.com
