---
title: "Starbucks: Traffic Trends Continue to Strengthen, Upside to Outlook"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/303787701.md"
description: "Starbucks shares declined following mixed Q4 results, though analysts remain largely bullish. BofA raised its price target to $141, citing strengthening traffic trends and margin expansion opportunities. DA Davidson noted same-store sales beat consensus at 7.2%, driven by US performance. TD Cowen maintained a Buy rating, highlighting upside from new food platforms, loyalty growth, and store remodels. Despite the stock drop to $104.31, analysts expect continued earnings beats."
datetime: "2026-10-30T17:28:43.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/303787701.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/303787701.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/303787701.md)
generator: "portal-rs"
---

# Starbucks: Traffic Trends Continue to Strengthen, Upside to Outlook

Shares of **Starbucks Corp (NASDAQ:SBUX)** declined in Friday afternoon trading after the company reported mixed fiscal fourth-quarter results the day before.

Here are some key analyst takeaways:

-   BofA Securities analyst Sara Senatore maintained a Buy rating, while raising the price target from $136 to $141.
-   DA Davidson analyst Matt Curtis reiterated a Neutral rating and price target of $110.
-   TD Cowen analyst Andrew Charles maintained a Buy rating and price target of $120.

Check out other analyst stock ratings.

**BofA Securities:** Starbucks’ underlying traffic trends continue to strengthen, driven by a healthier balance of pricing, food attachments, and delivery orders, Senatore said in a note. Margin expansion going ahead is expected to shift from general overhead savings toward longer-term efficiencies in store operations and supply chain distribution, she added.

The company has likely set its fiscal 2027 guidance for both North American same-store sales of 4% and earnings of $3.15-$3.25 per share below its internal expectations, Senatore said. This positions Starbucks well for continued beat and raise quarters, she further noted.

**Da Davidson:** Starbucks’ consolidated same-store sales grew 7.2%, higher than consensus of 5.6%, Curtis said. He added that the beat was drive by continued strength in North America, with US comps up 7.7% on a 5.2% increase in average ticket and a 2.4% increase in traffic.

The analyst noted that the company also continued to benefit from:

-   Improved operational execution under the Green Apron Service model
-   Menu innovation
-   Higher Rewards engagement
-   Remodels and uplifts

The high end of management’s fiscal 2028 earnings guidance range appears "aggressive," he further stated.

**TD Cowen:** Starbucks guided North America same-store sales growth of around 4%, "primarily driven by ticket though with positive traffic, which is expected to be a similar cadence through the year," Charles said.

The analyst maintained the fiscal 2027 North America same-store sales estimate above consensus, at 5%, citing:

-   Starbucks launching a new "afternoon bites" food platform and expanding caffeine-free, kid-friendly beverages
-   Greater engagement, with a growing 36 million active Starbucks Rewards loyalty members
-   The recent closure of around 250 stores could drive a same-store sales benefit of 50 basis points
-   1,700 store remodels in 2026 and over 2,000 remodels in 2027 could contribute around 50 bps of comps

The same-store sales estimate suggests upside to the company’s adjusted earnings guidance of $3.15-$3.25 per share, he added.

**SBUX** **Price Action:** Shares of Starbucks had declined by 1.14% to $104.31 on Friday.

 **Read Also: What's Going On with Starbucks Shares Friday?**

### Related Stocks

- [SBUX.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SBUX.US.md)
- [SBU.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SBU.US.md)

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> **Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.**