Starbucks (SBUX): analysis in plain words
Is Starbucks cheap or expensive? How it makes money, whether it grows and its risks, explained in plain words and with its official accounts.
Starbucks (SBUX) is listed on the Nasdaq and we classify it in restaurants. Below are its key dated figures, how it makes money, how it compares with its sector, what works for and against Starbucks according to those figures, and the questions people ask most about the stock. No buy or sell tips.
Starbucks (SBUX) key figures as of November 4, 2026
| Figure | Value | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $109.70 | Last price on November 4, 2026 |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 49.6x | Price over earnings per share |
| Revenue growth | -4.5% | Latest quarter vs the same quarter a year earlier |
| Net margin (TTM) | 6.7% | Profit for every 100 of sales |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 3.2x | Years of operating profit to repay debt |
| Dividend yield | 2.41% | Annual dividend over price |
| Market cap | $125.1 billion | What the stock market values it at |
The Starbucks figures come from Yahoo Finance, the same source the Fintols analysis uses, retrieved on November 4, 2026. Any SBUX figure that is not available shows as N/A: we do not estimate it.
How Starbucks makes money
Starbucks sells coffee, drinks and food in company-operated and licensed stores. It reports North America, its largest segment; International, where China is a key market; and Channel Development, which earns money from packaged coffee and ready-to-drink beverages sold in grocery stores, largely through its alliance with Nestlé.
Over the last 12 months, Starbucks brought in revenue of $37.9 billion. For every 100 it sells, Starbucks keeps 22.4 after the direct cost of what it sells (gross margin) and 12.8 after all operating costs (operating margin).
Starbucks against its sector
To know whether a Starbucks figure is high or low you have to put it next to similar companies. This table compares Starbucks with the median of the 4 restaurants companies Fintols covers, with data as of November 4, 2026.
| Figure | Starbucks | restaurants median |
|---|---|---|
| P/E | 49.6x | 27.8x (4) |
| Revenue growth | -4.5% | +6.6% (4) |
| Net margin | 6.7% | 18.1% (4) |
| Dividend yield | 2.41% | 2.16% (4) |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 3.2x | 3.4x (4) |
In short, against the typical restaurants company, Starbucks trades on a higher P/E, grows more slowly and earns a thinner margin. By size, Starbucks ranks number 2 of 4 restaurants companies quoted in USD on Fintols.
The bull case for Starbucks
What works in favour of Starbucks, according to its figures as of November 4, 2026:
- Analysts expect Starbucks earnings to rise: its P/E on the next 12 months of estimated earnings is 29.4x, below the current 49.6x.
The main risk for Starbucks
The price already assumes a lot: Starbucks trades at 49.6x its last 12 months of earnings, against 27.8x for the restaurants median. If growth disappoints, the multiple can shrink and the share price with it.
On top of that: starbucks sales fell 4.5% in the latest quarter against the same quarter a year earlier: if the decline drags on, profit usually follows.
And, like the rest of restaurants, Starbucks is exposed to rising wages and food costs, and customers eating out less.
Frequently asked questions about Starbucks
Is it a good time to buy Starbucks stock?
Fintols does not tell you whether to buy or sell Starbucks, and nobody knows what the price will do tomorrow. What we can show you is where it stands today. As of November 4, 2026, Starbucks stock trades at $109.70, 1% below its 52-week high ($110.51) and 39% above its low ($79.04). Its P/E is 49.6x against a restaurants median of 27.8x, and 29.4x on the earnings analysts expect over the next 12 months. With Starbucks, as with any stock, timing matters less than understanding the business, investing for the long run and not betting everything on a single company.
Does Starbucks pay a dividend?
Yes. As of November 4, 2026, Starbucks pays $2.52 per share a year, which at today's price is a yield of 2.41%. It uses 143% of its profit to pay it, more than it earns, which cannot last forever. Its average dividend yield over the last five years is 2.32%. The restaurants median on Fintols is 2.16%.
Is Starbucks stock expensive?
It depends on what you compare it with. On P/E, Starbucks trades at 49.6x its last 12 months of earnings: more expensive than the restaurants median (27.8x). Including its debt, Starbucks is valued at 24.1x its EBITDA (EV/EBITDA). A high P/E alone does not make Starbucks expensive: it can be justified if earnings grow fast, and a low one can reflect a business in trouble.
Who are Starbucks's competitors?
On Fintols we compare Starbucks with Chipotle, Yum! Brands and McDonald's, which are also in restaurants. As of November 4, 2026, Chipotle is worth $44.5 billion and trades on a P/E of 32.9; Yum! Brands is worth $44.7 billion and trades on a P/E of 13.4; McDonald's is worth $198.3 billion and trades on a P/E of 22.8. Each has a side-by-side comparison with Starbucks below.
Starbucks competitors
- Chipotle (CMG) analysis · Starbucks vs Chipotle comparison
- Yum! Brands (YUM) analysis · Starbucks vs Yum! Brands comparison
- McDonald's (MCD) analysis · Starbucks vs McDonald's comparison
To understand Starbucks better
More companies like Starbucks: restaurants stocks, S&P 500 companies and S&P 100 companies. Open the full SBUX analysis with its valuation and scenarios. Educational content about Starbucks, not investment advice.