Starbucks stock jumps as coffee giant raises full-year outlook

Starbucks on Wednesday raised its full-year outlook after reporting its fourth straight quarter of same-store sales growth.

For fiscal 2026, Starbucks now expects adjusted earnings per share in a range of $2.55 to $2.65, up from its prior outlook of $2.25 to $2.45 per share.

It now also projects global same-store sales will rise nearly 6% and U.S. same-store sales will climb more than 6%; the company was previously forecasting global and U.S. same-store sales growth of at least 5%.

"This was the quarter our momentum became truly measurable," CEO Brian Niccol said in a video shared with the company's earnings press release.

The coffee giant also reported quarterly earnings and revenue that topped analysts' expectations.

The coffee giant reported fiscal third-quarter net income attributable to Starbucks of $1.05 billion, or 91 cents per share, up from $558.3 million, or 49 cents per share, a year earlier.

The company's operating margins expanded to 13.6%, up from the year-ago period margins of 13.3%, thanks in part to tariff refunds. Starbucks did not say exactly how much it received in refunds.

"The refunds we received in Q3 largely offset related tariffs incurred in the first three quarters of fiscal 2026," CFO Cathy Smith said on the company's earnings conference call.

Excluding restructuring costs and other items, Starbucks earned 85 cents per share.

Net sales dropped 1% to $9.3 billion due to the company's sale of a controlling stake in its China business. In November, Starbucks announced it was forming a joint venture with Boyu Capital, which would take over operations in the coffee chain's second-largest market.

Although Starbucks' overall revenue fell, its sales at stores open at least 13 months climbed 7.9%, topping Wall Street estimates of 6%, according to StreetAccount.

The coffee chain reported increases in both transactions and average check, showing that customers are returning to its cafes and spending more on their orders.