Starbucks Corporation stock (NASDAQ: SBUX) is trading slightly lower on Friday, December 19, 2025, as investors balance a “turnaround-in-progress” narrative against real-world crosscurrents: elevated coffee costs, labor disruption risk, and a still-evolving international strategy—especially in China.
As of early afternoon, Starbucks shares were $88.77, down $0.65 (-0.72%). [1]
Below is a full, up-to-the-minute look at the news flow, forecasts, and analyst views shaping SBUX today—plus the specific issues Wall Street is watching into 2026.
Starbucks stock price today: what’s happening with SBUX on Dec. 19, 2025?
After a strong stretch of “green shoots” optimism around CEO Brian Niccol’s operational reset, SBUX is seeing modest profit-taking into the end of the week. The intraday dip also comes as the broader conversation around coffee prices—one of Starbucks’ most important input costs—has re-entered headlines today.
Market data trackers showed SBUX near $88.77 by early afternoon. [2]
The three forces moving Starbucks shares right now
1) Cost pressure is back in focus: coffee prices may stay high even after tariff relief
A major macro theme for beverage and restaurant names today is the reality that retail coffee prices can remain elevated even if tariff-related pressure eases, because price transmission through the supply chain can lag by months.
In a Reuters report published today, analysts and industry sources pointed to prior supply tightness and timing lags as reasons consumer coffee prices may not quickly fall—even after recent tariff changes. [3]
This matters for Starbucks because recent company results already highlighted how commodities and related cost items can squeeze profitability. In Starbucks’ late-October earnings coverage, Reuters reported that coffee prices and tariffs were among the factors pressuring margins, alongside investment costs tied to the turnaround. [4]
Why investors care: if Starbucks stays cautious on menu price increases (to protect traffic), sustained coffee inflation can make margin recovery slower—and the stock tends to trade on the pace and credibility of that recovery.
2) The “Back to Starbucks” turnaround is real—but execution is the story
Starbucks is in a multi-quarter effort to make stores feel less transactional and more like the brand’s original “third place,” while also improving throughput and labor deployment.
Reuters has described Niccol’s strategy as a cost-and-experience reset that he calls “Back to Starbucks.” [5]
That plan has included operational changes such as menu simplification, faster service goals, and store upgrades. [6]
Recent reporting also described Starbucks piloting new store designs and committing meaningful staffing/labor-hour investments to support execution at scale. [7]
Market takeaway: Starbucks bulls generally argue the stock can re-rate higher if “throughput + experience” improvements translate into sustainably higher transactions. Bears tend to argue it’s difficult to fix speed, service, and staffing economics simultaneously—especially with commodity and wage pressures.
3) China remains a headline risk—and a potential valuation unlock
Starbucks’ strategy in China has been one of the most consequential moving pieces for the equity story in 2025.
Reuters reported that Starbucks agreed to sell control of its China operations to Boyu Capital in a deal valuing the business at $4 billion, with Boyu holding up to 60% and Starbucks 40%, while Starbucks continues to license brand/IP to the venture. [8]
The same Reuters report also highlighted the competitive reality in the market, including Starbucks’ declining China market share and the rise of lower-priced competitors. [9]
Earlier in the process, Reuters also reported that bidders had valued Starbucks China as high as $5 billion, with offers often framed around an EBITDA multiple approach. [10]
What investors are debating now:
- Does the structure meaningfully reduce operational drag and let Starbucks monetize China exposure more efficiently?
- Or does selling control limit upside if the China market rebounds sharply?
Labor and regulation: two issues investors can’t ignore
A month-long U.S. strike has expanded
A clear near-term uncertainty for SBUX is labor disruption risk and reputational overhang.
Reuters reported on December 11 that hundreds of baristas walked off the job in 34 U.S. cities, escalating a month-long strike. The union said over 3,800 baristas had participated and that the strike had spread to more than 180 stores across 130 cities. [11]
Starbucks, in the same Reuters report, argued the impact was limited—stating that fewer than 1% of its roughly 17,000 U.S. coffeehouses had been affected at any point. [12]
New York City settlement adds a cost-and-governance headline
On the regulatory front, New York City announced a $38.9 million settlement with Starbucks related to alleged violations of the city’s Fair Workweek Law, describing it as the largest worker-protection settlement in city history. [13]
The city said the settlement requires over $35.5 million in restitution to workers plus $3.4 million in civil penalties and costs, and applies to hourly workers in NYC across a multi-year period. [14]
Investor relevance: these items don’t necessarily change Starbucks’ long-term brand power, but they can influence risk perception, operating leverage assumptions, and how much “execution discount” the market applies to the stock.
Supply chain headline: a key Starbucks supplier explores a potential sale
A Reuters report on December 18 said Cuisine Solutions—known for producing Starbucks’ egg bites—hired Morgan Stanley and Rothschild to explore a potential sale process, with a valuation that could exceed $2 billion, according to sources. [15]
This isn’t a direct Starbucks corporate action, but it’s relevant in two ways:
- It highlights how valuable certain “behind-the-counter” product platforms have become in foodservice.
- It puts attention on supplier concentration and continuity for high-volume items.
Brand momentum headline: Starbucks expands culture strategy into fashion and beauty
Starbucks is also leaning into cultural collaborations as part of brand re-energizing.
Modern Retail reported this week that Starbucks hired Neiv Toledano (previously at e.l.f. Cosmetics) as a senior marketing manager of fashion and beauty, described as a first-of-its-kind dedicated role focused on partnerships/collabs. [16]
Why it matters for the stock: These initiatives are unlikely to move near-term EPS by themselves, but they speak to management’s push to rebuild relevance and traffic—especially among younger, trend-driven consumers.
What Wall Street forecasts say about Starbucks stock today
Analyst communities still skew constructive on SBUX—but targets are dispersed, reflecting uncertainty about how quickly the turnaround can convert into earnings power.
MarketBeat consensus (last updated Dec. 19, 2025)
- Average 12-month price target: $101.44
- Range: $76.00 (low) to $165.00 (high)
- Ratings mix: 2 Sell, 11 Hold, 15 Buy, 1 Strong Buy
- Consensus view: “Moderate Buy” [17]
StockAnalysis consensus
StockAnalysis reports:
- Analyst consensus: Buy
- Average price target: $97.87 (with a stated forecast gain over the next year)
- Range: $76 to $115 [18]
It also lists notable recent rating actions (examples include reiterated/maintained ratings and price-target changes from firms such as TD Cowen, Citi, RBC, and Piper Sandler across Oct–Dec). [19]
TipRanks snapshot
TipRanks shows:
- Average price target: $95.00
- Consensus: Moderate Buy (buy/hold/sell mix shown on its page) [20]
How to interpret the spread:
When one aggregator shows a ~$95 target and another shows ~$101+, it’s usually methodology and coverage differences—not a sudden change in core sentiment. The more important signal is that targets cluster around “modest upside,” while the wide high/low range signals a market still debating Starbucks’ medium-term earnings trajectory.
Next catalyst: Q1 results and (likely) January guidance updates
The next major scheduled inflection point is earnings.
MarketBeat lists Starbucks’ upcoming Q1 earnings date as “Jan. 27 after market closes (estimated).” [21]
Separately, Reuters reporting around Starbucks’ recent results indicated the company expected to provide a financial outlook at an investor event in January (context: Starbucks suspended guidance shortly after Niccol took the helm). [22]
The bull case vs. bear case for Starbucks stock heading into 2026
What supports SBUX (the bull view)
- A credible store-ops reset under Niccol, with tangible initiatives around speed, service, design, and staffing investments. [23]
- A clearer China strategy through a structured partnership that may improve focus and capital efficiency. [24]
- Street forecasts still leaning to “Buy/Moderate Buy,” with many targets above current prices. [25]
What could cap the stock (the bear view)
- Coffee and other inputs staying expensive longer than investors expect, limiting margin recovery even if traffic stabilizes. [26]
- Labor uncertainty (strike escalation, bargaining outcomes, and potential operational disruption). [27]
- Regulatory and legal headlines that keep pressure on costs and governance narrative. [28]
References
1. www.marketbeat.com, 2. www.marketbeat.com, 3. www.reuters.com, 4. www.reuters.com, 5. www.reuters.com, 6. www.reuters.com, 7. www.reuters.com, 8. www.reuters.com, 9. www.reuters.com, 10. www.reuters.com, 11. www.reuters.com, 12. www.reuters.com, 13. www.nyc.gov, 14. www.nyc.gov, 15. www.reuters.com, 16. www.modernretail.co, 17. www.marketbeat.com, 18. stockanalysis.com, 19. stockanalysis.com, 20. www.tipranks.com, 21. www.marketbeat.com, 22. www.reuters.com, 23. www.reuters.com, 24. www.reuters.com, 25. www.marketbeat.com, 26. www.reuters.com, 27. www.reuters.com, 28. www.nyc.gov
