Starbucks Stock Brews Up Third Straight Weekly Gain: Will 2026 End A 4-Year Losing Streak?

Analysts turn upbeat on SBUX on hopes of a U.S. comp sales rebound, but retail traders remain skeptical heading into Q1 results.

• Starbucks’ shares were up nearly 1% in overnight trading, according to Yahoo Finance, and have jumped nearly 14% so far in 2026.
• William Blair upgraded Starbucks to ‘Outperform’ from ‘Market Perform’ and said it expects Starbucks to post its first domestic comparable sales gain in two years.
• Analysts on average had a ‘Buy’ rating on Starbucks, according to Koyfin.

Shares of Starbucks Corp. are on track to end the week higher for a third consecutive week, as Wall Street sentiment turns more constructive ahead of the coffee giant’s upcoming quarterly earnings report next week. Investors and retail traders are closely watching for signs of a sustained turnaround.

The company’s shares were up nearly 1% in overnight trading on Thursday, according to Yahoo Finance, and have gained close to 14% so far in 2026. If the momentum holds, this would mark Starbucks’ strongest start to a year in the past five years.

Under the leadership of new CEO Brian Niccol, Starbucks has been trying to push its luck and turn the business around from the slumps seen in recent years. Niccol has set a precedent for getting the company back to its coffeehouse roots, cutting wait times, and trimming offerings that have not done well.

Wall Street Happier With SBUX?

On Thursday, William Blair upgraded Starbucks to ‘Outperform’ from ‘Market Perform,’ according to The Fly. The research firm said it expects Starbucks to post its first domestic comparable sales gain in two years when it reports its December quarter results.

William Blair added that this should set the brand up well for a return to positive full-year comparable gains in fiscal 2026. The firm noted that, assuming about 3% global unit expansion alongside a low-single-digit comp, it sees a path for consolidated operating margin to recover within spitting distance of 2023 levels by 2030.

Bank of America raised the firm's price target on Starbucks to $114 from $106 on Wednesday and maintained a ‘Buy’ rating on the shares. Earlier in January, Mizuho raised the firm's price target on Starbucks to $86 from $83 and noted that casual diners are best positioned to outperform, followed by coffee and fast casual, with quick service positioned least favorably.

Analysts on average had a ‘Buy’ rating on Starbucks, according to Koyfin. Out of the 36 analysts covering the stock, 15 of them rated it ‘Hold’ and 18 ‘Buy’ or higher, suggesting bullish sentiment.

Starbucks Q1 Earnings: What’s In Store? 

The coffee giant is expected to report first-quarter results on Jan. 28. Wall Street analysts estimate revenue will rise about 2.5% to $9.63 billion from a year earlier, and earnings per share will dip to $0.59 from $0.69 in the December quarter, according to Fiscal.ai data.

Starbucks has seen U.S. sales decline mainly due to higher prices for its offerings, driven by rising commodity costs. This, along with rising competition from Dutch Bros and Luckin Coffee, has eaten into its market share as consumers seek better coffee at lower prices.

How Are Stocktwits Users Reacting?

Retail sentiment on Starbucks was in the ‘bearish’ territory compared to ‘bullish’ a month ago, with message volumes at ‘high’ levels, according to data from Stocktwits. In the past 24 hours, retail message volume on the stock jumped 129% on Stocktwits.

Shares of Starbucks have declined 3% in the last 12 months.

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