$SBUX

Starbucks baristas in Nashville and Goodlettsville held a one-day strike Aug. 15 over alleged unfair labor practices and staffing levels. Starbucks Workers United says it has filed 1,100 unfair labor practice charges and seeks a $17 minimum wage, 4% annual raises, and at least three baristas on the floor. Starbucks plans a Nashville corporate office, investing $100 million and employing 2,000, supported by a $30 million FastTrack grant.

Starbucks said its Rewards “Stars” scheme will change starting September 3. The stars needed for some free items will rise, including 130 to 150 stars for a free filter coffee, americano or hot tea, and 300 to 350 points for bakery items. Starbucks attributed the updates to faster star earning as purchase values increased.

Starbucks is bringing back its Unicorn Frappuccino for a limited weekend, Aug. 15-16, using its 2017 recipe, according to a Starbucks news release. The drink is a grande-only item with limited customization and no price stated. In 2017, Mashed reported a 4% same-store sales increase vs. 2016. Reddit users are discussing likely inventory limits.

Income-focused article lists dividend ex-dates and payments for Starbucks (SBUX, ex-date Aug 14, $0.62 quarterly, paid Aug 28), Honeywell (HON, ex-date Aug 14, $0.70, paid Sep 4), and Cintas (CTAS, ex-date Aug 14, $0.52, paid Sep 15). It also notes CDW (ex-date Aug 25, $0.63, paid Sep 10) and T-Mobile US (TMUS, ex-date Aug 28, $1.02, paid Sep 10), with brief EPS coverage and yield/valuation context.

Starbucks (SBUX) hit a new 52-week high of $110.51 and traded at $108.16 on Aug 14, after fiscal Q3 results beat expectations. Adjusted EPS was $0.85 vs $0.66 expected, on $9.3B revenue, with U.S. same-store sales up 8% and guidance raised. Analysts issued mixed targets and InvestingPro fair value is $93.05.

Bloomberg, citing ESGAUGE analysis of filings for 61 S&P 100 firms, says most have removed explicit board diversity criteria since 2023. Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Starbucks and Wells Fargo dropped such provisions. Some firms also removed CEO succession diversity language. Microsoft still keeps gender and minority targets for CEO searches. Former CEOs formed 37% of new S&P 500 directors this year.

Starbucks Korea said on Aug. 14 it will enhance its “Fast Serve” quick order service launched in April. It now has about 930 locations, about 40% of its 2,185 stores in Korea, with 90% of orders ready within three minutes and top 50 stores averaging 1 min 30 sec. The service is expanding to more areas and adding food items.

Starbucks Korea posted its first operating loss in 27 years in the June quarter after a marketing controversy triggered a consumer boycott, drawing criticism from President Lee Jae Myung and a police raid, while operator SCK Company Co. continued store expansion. Simply Wall St links the Korea reputational shock to Starbucks (SBUX) global brand risk and notes July 29 guidance for FY2026 net revenues flat to slightly up and GAAP diluted EPS of $2.14 to $2.24.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) will reintroduce the Unicorn Frappuccino globally for a single weekend starting Aug. 15, aiming to boost store traffic. U.S. transactions rose 4.2% in the last quarter after a 3.7% decline a year earlier. In fiscal Q3, U.S. comparable sales grew 7.9%. Shares closed at $108.49, near a 52-week high; adjusted EPS was $0.85 vs $0.66 estimate, and non-GAAP operating margin rose to 14.4%.

Starbucks is seeking approval for a new Wilmington, North Carolina location at 6400 Carolina Beach Road, per plans submitted to New Hanover County. The proposal covers a 1,568 sq ft shop with a drive-thru for up to 14 vehicles, at Masonboro Commons. The county technical review committee will consider the plans Wednesday.