greeksoup/ stock research

Starbucks Corp.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 April 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised, 2 lowered, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 9% to $9.5 billion: Consolidated net revenues were $9.5 billion, up 9%, or 8% on a constant currency basis. Company-operated store revenue rose 7.3% to $7,816.4 million. Source
  • Operating income and margin rose: GAAP operating income was $828.1 million, up 37.8%, with GAAP operating margin of 8.7%, up 180 basis points. Non-GAAP operating margin was 9.4%, up 120 basis points. Source
  • North America margin contracted: North America operating income fell 9% to $679.9 million. Operating margin of 9.9% was 170 basis points lower than a year earlier, with sales leverage partly offsetting cost pressures. Source
  • International margin expanded: International operating income rose 84% to $398.6 million. Operating margin reached 19.4%, up 780 basis points, with lower store operating and depreciation costs after the China held-for-sale classification cited. Source
  • Product costs rose faster than sales: Product and distribution costs rose 17.2% to $3,208.5 million, or 33.7% of revenue, against 31.2% a year earlier. Source
  • Operating cash flow fell: Net cash provided by operating activities over two quarters was $1,962.2 million, down from $2,364.0 million a year earlier. Source
  • China retail joint venture closed: Starbucks keeps a 40% stake in the China retail joint venture and continues to own and license the brand and intellectual property to it. Source

“Our second quarter marked the turn in our turnaround as our Back to Starbucks plan drove both top and bottom line growth”

Brian Niccol, chairman and chief executive officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Global and U.S. comparable store sales growth Sourcefiscal 20265.0% or greaterRaised from 3% or greater
Consolidated net revenues growth Sourcefiscal 2026roughly flat year over yearLowered from growing at a similar rate to comparable store sales growth
Non-GAAP diluted EPS Sourcefiscal 2026$2.25 to $2.45Raised from $2.15 to $2.40
Net new coffeehouses, company-operated and licensed Sourcefiscal 2026approximately 600 to 650Kept
GAAP diluted EPS (reconciliation table) Sourcefiscal 2026, year ending Sep 27, 2026$1.73 to $1.93Lowered from $1.74 to $1.99

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Comparable store sales growth guidance raised to 5.0% or greater from 3% or greater. Source
  • Guidance raised: Non-GAAP EPS guidance raised to $2.25 to $2.45 from $2.15 to $2.40. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Consolidated net revenue guidance changed from growth at a similar rate to comparable sales to roughly flat year over year. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Projected GAAP EPS range lowered to $1.73 to $1.93 from $1.74 to $1.99. Source
  • Guidance kept: Non-GAAP operating margin guidance kept at a slight year-over-year improvement. Source
  • New: Boyu Capital-managed funds now hold 60% of Starbucks China retail operations. The closing of the previously announced joint venture was announced in April. Source
  • New: Plan announced in April to open an additional office in Nashville, Tennessee, to establish a more strategic presence in the Southeast region. Source
  • New: New incentive rewards program announced in April for hourly coffeehouse partners. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 9% to $9.5 billion: Consolidated net revenues were $9.5 billion, up 9%, or 8% on a constant currency basis. Company-operated store revenue rose 7.3% to $7,816.4 million. Source
  • Operating income and margin rose: GAAP operating income was $828.1 million, up 37.8%, with GAAP operating margin of 8.7%, up 180 basis points. Non-GAAP operating margin was 9.4%, up 120 basis points. Source
  • Earnings per share rose on both bases: GAAP diluted EPS was $0.45, up 32%. Non-GAAP EPS was $0.50, up 22%, including on a constant currency basis. Source
  • Six-month operating income little changed: Two-quarter net revenues rose 7.1% to $19.4 billion. Two-quarter operating income was $1,718.8 million, against $1,722.8 million a year earlier. Two-quarter GAAP diluted EPS was $0.70, against $1.02. Source

Segments and regions

  • North America margin contracted: North America operating income fell 9% to $679.9 million. Operating margin of 9.9% was 170 basis points lower than a year earlier, with sales leverage partly offsetting cost pressures. Source
  • International margin expanded: International operating income rose 84% to $398.6 million. Operating margin reached 19.4%, up 780 basis points, with lower store operating and depreciation costs after the China held-for-sale classification cited. Source
  • China revenue grew, store count rose: China net revenues were $799.8 million, up 8%. China ended the quarter with 7,991 stores, and 48 China stores closed under the restructuring plan. Source
  • Channel Development revenue up, margin down: Channel Development revenue rose 39% to $567.8 million, mainly from the Global Coffee Alliance. Segment operating margin was 40.5%, down 680 basis points from 47.3%. Source

“This is the Starbucks our customers deserve and the Starbucks we believe will deliver long-term growth and value for our partners and shareholders”

Brian Niccol, chairman and chief executive officer

Customers and store network

  • Transactions led sales growth: Management said the quarter's comparable sales growth was led by transaction growth, with average ticket contributing less. Source
  • Net store additions over two quarters: Net store additions for the two quarters totalled 139, against 590 a year earlier. The U.S. and China made up 61% of the portfolio at quarter end. Source
  • Closures by region in restructuring: Stores closed under the Back to Starbucks restructuring plan were 7 in North America and 55 in International, which includes the 48 China closures. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Product costs rose faster than sales: Product and distribution costs rose 17.2% to $3,208.5 million, or 33.7% of revenue, against 31.2% a year earlier. Source
  • Store operating costs fell as share: Store operating expenses were 56.4% of company-operated store revenue, against 57.3% a year earlier. Source
  • Overhead costs fell: General and administrative expenses fell 2.2% to $618.1 million, or 6.5% of revenue, against 7.2% a year earlier. Source
  • Restructuring and transformation costs: Restructuring and impairments were $25.1 million, against $116.2 million. Transaction costs were $9.8 million and transformation costs $28.9 million, mainly for relocating support functions to Nashville. Source

“We have more work to do, but we're pleased to see the combination of our comp growth and cost discipline starting to show up in margins”

Cathy Smith, chief financial officer

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow fell: Net cash provided by operating activities over two quarters was $1,962.2 million, down from $2,364.0 million a year earlier. Source
  • Capital spending fell: Additions to property, plant and equipment over two quarters were $596.4 million, against $1,282.1 million a year earlier. Source
  • Cash fell, long-term debt repaid: Cash and equivalents were $1,532.0 million at quarter end, against $3,219.8 million at fiscal year-end. The company repaid $1,000.0 million of long-term debt, and assets held for sale totalled $5,043.4 million. Source
  • Dividend payouts continue: The company reported 64 consecutive quarters of dividend payouts. Cash dividends paid over two quarters were $1,411.4 million. Source

Strategy, governance and shareholder matters

  • China retail joint venture closed: Starbucks keeps a 40% stake in the China retail joint venture and continues to own and license the brand and intellectual property to it. Source
  • Reimagined loyalty program launched: The reimagined loyalty program launched in March with Green, Gold and Reserve membership levels. Management described it as a key milestone in Back to Starbucks. Source
  • Investor Day covered turnaround progress: At the January Investor Day, leaders including the chief executive and chief financial officer highlighted turnaround progress and unveiled new coffeehouse innovations. Source
  • Shareholders approved all proposals: At the March annual meeting, shareholders voted for all director nominees, approved executive pay on an advisory basis and ratified the auditor. Source

Coming up, as management said on 28 April 2026

  • Dividend payable May 29: The $0.62 per share cash dividend is payable May 29, 2026, to shareholders of record on May 15, 2026. Source
  • Joint venture results start in Q3: The impact of the China joint venture will begin to be reported with third quarter results. Source
  • Third-quarter gain still being evaluated: Management is evaluating the third-quarter effects. The anticipated material gain and related tax impacts are excluded from projections. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Comparable store sales growth, global Source6.2%
Comparable transactions growth, global Source3.8%
Average ticket growth, global Source2.3%
Comparable store sales growth, North America Source7.1%
Comparable store sales growth, U.S. Source7.1%
Comparable store sales growth, International Source2.6%
Comparable store sales growth, China Source0.5%
Average ticket change, China Source(1.6)%
Store count at quarter end Source41,129 (52% company-operated, 48% licensed)
Net new stores in quarter Source11
Stores closed under restructuring in quarter Source62
Inventories at quarter end Source$2,157.8 million

Risks management discussed

  • External: Inflation led by tariffs and elevated coffee pricing weighed on North America margin, partly offset by sales leverage. Source
  • Financial: Effective tax rate rose to 29.8%, partly from reorganizing certain entities in China and an $8 million discrete item tied to the held-for-sale classification. Source
  • Operational: Channel Development margin reflected lower income from the North American Coffee Partnership joint venture relative to segment revenue growth. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management said it had been clear that topline improvement would come first, with earnings growth to follow. Source
  • Not stated: At Investor Day, the company reaffirmed its commitment to be the leading customer service company. Source
  • Not stated: The company announced the closing of the joint venture with Boyu Capital that it had previously announced. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.