NEW YORK, Feb 11, 2026, 10:27 ET — Regular session
- Starbucks shares edged up roughly 0.2% in early trading, rebounding after falling for two days straight
- After the U.S. jobs report beat expectations, Wall Street kicked off the day with gains
- Investors are closely monitoring if Starbucks’ new menu strategy can boost foot traffic without squeezing margins even more
Starbucks Corp shares edged up 0.2% to $97.75 in Wednesday’s morning trade, recovering slightly from the previous day’s dip. Earlier, the stock fluctuated between $97.35 and $98.32.
The wider market provided support. U.S. stocks advanced following a jobs report that revealed payrolls increased by 130,000 in January, with the unemployment rate dipping to 4.3%. “The underlying employment picture looks like it’s stronger than expected,” noted Jordan Rizzuto, chief investment officer at GammaRoad Capital Partners. 1
Starbucks knows the drill: boost foot traffic without sacrificing the brand. On Feb. 9, the chain launched one of its biggest U.S. menu overhauls in years, introducing new bakery items, a permanent everyday brewed coffee, and fresh drinks, Axios reported. Food now accounts for roughly a quarter of its U.S. sales, the report added. 2
CBS News reported that the new lineup features a Dubai chocolate bite, a cookie-croissant swirl, fruit-flavored matcha drinks, and a new 1971 Roast coffee. “Customers told me that our menu needed to feel more relevant,” CEO Brian Niccol said during an investor day. Starbucks revealed same-store sales — those at locations open at least a year — climbed 4% in the latest quarter, according to a report from late January. 3
Analyst moves kept the stock in focus. On Feb. 10, Wolfe Research bumped its Starbucks price target to $112 from $100, maintaining an “outperform” rating, according to an MT Newswires report featured on MarketScreener. Remember, a price target reflects where analysts expect the stock to trade in roughly 12 months—not a guarantee. 4
Starbucks closed Tuesday at $97.53, down 1.46%, marking its second day in a row dropping despite the Dow posting a slight gain. According to MarketWatch data, the stock held up better than Coca-Cola but fell short of the modest advances seen in PepsiCo and McDonald’s. 5
The consumer environment has cooled. U.S. retail sales stalled in December, while spending at food services and drinking places dipped 0.1%, a key indicator of discretionary demand, according to a Commerce Department report. Thomas Ryan, North America economist at Capital Economics, noted, “Signs of earlier consumer strength may be starting to falter.” 6
Starbucks is ramping up its brand marketing tied to major events. On Tuesday, it announced plans to connect with New York Fashion Week and throw a “coffee rave” in Tribeca on Feb. 13, featuring DJ LP Giobbi. 7
Rates remained steady following the jobs report. According to Reuters, traders now assign just a 20% probability to a Federal Reserve rate cut by April, with policymakers closely monitoring inflation and economic growth. 8
Yet, the margin issue looms large. Starbucks’ operating margins have dropped for eight quarters in a row. Niccol admits the “strategic investments” aimed at shoring up operations “will take time to flow through” before delivering lasting earnings growth. 9
Starbucks announced a $0.62 quarterly dividend, set for payment on Feb. 27 to shareholders recorded by Feb. 13, according to its latest quarterly results release. 10
On Friday, Feb. 13 at 8:30 a.m. ET, the U.S. consumer price index for January hits the tape — a key figure that often shakes up rate expectations and, in turn, consumer stocks. 11
