Starbucks Raises FY 2026 Guidance by 10% After Strong Q3 Results

Starbucks posted its fourth straight quarter of same-store sales growth, raising its full-year profit guidance by around 10%. The company's quarterly results exceeded expectations.

Starbucks (SBUX) posted its fourth consecutive quarter of comparable-store-sales growth in fiscal Q3 2026, with global comps up 7.9%, ahead of the roughly 6% Wall Street had penciled in, driven by a 4.2% increase in transactions and a 3.5% rise in average ticket . North America comps climbed 8.1%, the strongest signal yet that CEO Brian Niccol's turnaround plan is gaining traction rather than just stabilizing the business.

The quarter matters because it is also the second straight period of margin expansion alongside the sales growth, a combination the market has been waiting for since Niccol's plan began reshaping stores, menus and service speed. Niccol called it the quarter the company's momentum "became truly measurable".

Quarterly revenue reached $9.32 billion, above the $9.16 billion analysts expected, while adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.85 versus a $0.66 estimate, and net income rose to $1.05 billion. Starbucks opened 175 net new stores and passed 1,000 cafe "uplifts," hitting its fiscal 2026 renovation goal ahead of schedule; it is now targeting at least 1,500 store renovations by year end.

On the back of the results, Starbucks raised its full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $2.55 to $2.65 from $2.25 to $2.45, a roughly 10% increase at the midpoint, and now expects global comparable sales to rise nearly 6% (versus "at least 5%" previously) with US comps climbing more than 6%. What to watch next: whether the renovation and staffing investments keep paying off in transaction growth even as Starbucks absorbs the cost of nearly 1,500 store remodels.

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