Form 4: Starbucks CFO Reports Routine Stock Transaction

Starbucks EVP and CFO Cathy R. Smith reported a disposition of shares to cover tax obligations related to restricted stock unit vesting.

Summary

• Cathy R. Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Starbucks Corp (SBUX), reported a transaction on March 24, 2026.
• The transaction involved the disposition of 2,231.435 shares of Starbucks common stock at a price of $91.98 per share.
• These shares were withheld by the issuer to satisfy tax withholding obligations upon the vesting of restricted stock units.
• This was not an open market transaction.
• Following this reported transaction, Cathy R. Smith beneficially owns 63,751.726 shares of Starbucks common stock.
• The total beneficial ownership includes 860.423 shares representing dividend equivalents on unvested time-based restricted stock units.

Sentiment

Score: 6

Explanation: StockSavvy.ai views this as a neutral to slightly positive event, reflecting a standard administrative process for executive compensation and tax compliance, with the underlying RSU vesting being a positive for the executive.

Positives

• The underlying event of restricted stock unit vesting indicates the executive has met performance or tenure requirements, aligning executive interests with long-term company performance.
• The executive continues to hold a significant number of shares (63,751.726), demonstrating continued alignment with shareholder interests.

Negatives

• A reduction in the direct share count held by the executive due to tax withholding.

Future Outlook

This filing does not contain any forward-looking statements or guidance regarding the company's future outlook.

Industry Context

StockSavvy.ai notes that Form 4 filings are routine disclosures for corporate insiders and typically do not reflect strategic shifts or operational performance. This specific filing indicates standard executive compensation practices at Starbucks, involving the vesting of restricted stock units and subsequent tax withholding.

Comparison to Industry Standards

• The practice of withholding shares to cover tax obligations upon the vesting of restricted stock units is a common and standard method of executive compensation and tax management across many publicly traded companies, including peers in the consumer discretionary and food & beverage sectors.

Stakeholder Impact

• Shareholders: Minimal direct impact as this is a routine tax-related transaction, but it confirms the ongoing executive compensation structure and alignment of executive interests with the company's performance.

Key Dates

Recommendation

This Form 4 filing details a routine tax-related disposition of shares by an executive upon restricted stock unit vesting. This is a standard compensation event and does not provide new material information that would typically alter an investment thesis for Starbucks, thus a 'hold' recommendation is appropriate.

Keywords

Starbucks, SBUX, Form 4, Insider Transaction, Executive Compensation, Restricted Stock Units, Tax Withholding