MMarketMath

SBUX

StalwartQuality: Medium (60/100)2 red flags

Starbucks · Consumer Discretionary · Restaurants

$107.49

52w 77.99 – 110.51

20y monthly, adjusted

Mkt cap

$122.5B

P/E

64.5

P/FCF

49.0

FCF yield

2.0%

ROE

-22.9%

Shldr yield

2.3%

div 2.3% + bb 0.0%

What today's price assumes

At $122.5B, the market is pricing in 19.9% annual free-cash-flow growth for the next decade (10% discount rate, 2.5% terminal growth). Over the last ten years, FCF actually grew -0.0% per year — the price asks for acceleration beyond the historical record.

Simple DCF per-share range: $24 · $24 · $30 (4% / base / optimistic growth). An estimate, not a target.

Adjust the assumptions yourself →

Historical multiple lens

At its own median P/OCF of 16.5× across 19 years, SBUX would trade near $69/share (25th–75th percentile: $52–$79); it trades at 25.8× today.

Assumes the historical multiple regime persists — re-ratings can be permanent.

Growth record

Compound annual growth rates from as-filed 10-K data, split-adjusted

Rev 3y

+4.9%

Rev 5y

+9.6%

Rev 10y

+6.9%

EPS 5y

+15.6%

EPS 10y

−1.1%

FCF 5y

+84.5%

FCF 10y

−0.0%

Fundamentals

Fiscal 2007–2025, from SEC filings

Revenue

2007: $9.4B
2008: $10.4B
2009: $9.8B
2010: $10.7B
2011: $11.7B
2012: $13.3B
2013: $14.9B
2014: $16.4B
2015: $19.2B
2016: $21.3B
2017: $22.4B
2018: $24.7B
2019: $26.5B
2020: $23.5B
2021: $29.1B
2022: $32.3B
2023: $36.0B
2024: $36.2B
2025: $37.2B
$0$10.0B$20.0B$30.0B
07
11
15
19
23

Net income

2007: $672.6M
2008: $315.5M
2009: $390.8M
2010: $945.6M
2011: $1.2B
2012: $1.4B
2013: $8.3M
2014: $2.1B
2015: $2.8B
2016: $2.8B
2017: $2.9B
2018: $4.5B
2019: $3.6B
2020: $928.3M
2021: $4.2B
2022: $3.3B
2023: $4.1B
2024: $3.8B
2025: $1.9B
$0$2.0B$4.0B
07
11
15
19
23

Free cash flow

2007: $250.9M
2008: $274.2M
2009: $943.4M
2010: $1.3B
2011: $1.1B
2012: $894.1M
2013: $1.8B
2014: −$553.1M
2015: $2.4B
2016: $3.3B
2017: $2.7B
2018: $10.0B
2019: $3.2B
2020: $114.2M
2021: $4.5B
2022: $2.6B
2023: $3.7B
2024: $3.3B
2025: $2.4B
$0$5.0B$10.0B
07
11
15
19
23

Diluted shares (lower is better)

2007: 1.5B
2008: 1.5B
2009: 1.5B
2010: 1.5B
2011: 1.5B
2012: 1.5B
2013: 1.5B
2014: 1.5B
2015: 1.5B
2016: 1.5B
2017: 1.5B
2018: 1.4B
2019: 1.2B
2020: 1.2B
2021: 1.2B
2022: 1.2B
2023: 1.2B
2024: 1.1B
2025: 1.1B
0500.0M1.0B1.5B
07
11
15
19
23

Margins

0%20%40%07101316192225
Net marginFCF marginGross margin

Capital returned (dividends + buybacks)

2007: $996.8M
2008: $311.4M
2009: $0
2010: $456.6M
2011: $945.4M
2012: $1.1B
2013: $1.2B
2014: $1.5B
2015: $2.4B
2016: $3.2B
2017: $3.5B
2018: $8.9B
2019: $12.0B
2020: $3.6B
2021: $2.1B
2022: $6.3B
2023: $3.4B
2024: $3.9B
2025: $2.8B
$0$5.0B$10.0B
07
11
15
19
23

Cash vs long-term debt

$0$5.0B$10.0B$15.0B07101316192225
CashLT debt

Quarterly

Discrete quarters from 10-Q filings; Q4 derived as fiscal year minus Q1–Q3. OCF is unwound from the year-to-date figures 10-Qs report. Compare to the same quarter a year ago — most businesses are seasonal.

Revenue by quarter

Q3'23: $9.2B
Q4'23: $9.4B
Q1'24: $9.4B
Q2'24: $8.6B
Q3'24: $9.1B
Q4'24: $9.1B
Q1'25: $9.4B
Q2'25: $8.8B
Q3'25: $9.5B
Q4'25: $9.6B
Q1'26: $9.9B
Q2'26: $9.5B
Q3'26: $9.3B
$0$2.5B$5.0B$7.5B
23
24
25
25
26

Net income by quarter

Q3'23: $1.1B
Q4'23: $1.2B
Q1'24: $1.0B
Q2'24: $772.4M
Q3'24: $1.1B
Q4'24: $909.3M
Q1'25: $780.8M
Q2'25: $384.2M
Q3'25: $558.3M
Q4'25: $133.1M
Q1'26: $293.3M
Q2'26: $510.9M
Q3'26: $1.0B
$0$500.0M$1.0B
23
24
25
25
26
QuarterRevenueYoYNet incomeYoYEPSOCF
Q3'26$9.3B−1.4%$1.0B+87.2%0.91$1.6B
Q2'26$9.5B+8.8%$510.9M+33.0%0.45$364.5M
Q1'26$9.9B+5.5%$293.3M−62.4%0.26$1.6B
Q4'25 *$9.6B+5.5%$133.1M−85.4%0.11$1.4B
Q3'25$9.5B+3.8%$558.3M−47.1%0.49$1.0B
Q2'25$8.8B+2.3%$384.2M−50.3%0.34$292.0M
Q1'25$9.4B−0.3%$780.8M−23.8%0.69$2.1B
Q4'24 *$9.1B−3.2%$909.3M−25.4%0.80$1.5B
Q3'24$9.1B−0.6%$1.1B−7.6%0.93$1.7B
Q2'24$8.6B−1.8%$772.4M−15.0%0.68$506.0M
Q1'24$9.4B+8.2%$1.0B+19.8%0.90$2.4B
Q4'23 *$9.4B+11.4%$1.2B+38.8%1.06$1.9B
Q3'23$9.2B+12.5%$1.1B+25.1%0.99$6.4B

Track record

Compound annual growth by period. For debt and share count, negative is the good direction.

Series3y5y10y15y
Revenue+4.9%+9.6%+6.9%+8.7%
Operating cash flow+2.6%+24.3%+2.4%+7.1%
Free cash flow−1.5%+84.5%−0.0%+4.5%
EPS (diluted)−16.8%+15.6%−1.1%+6.6%
Equity−41.4%−23.6%−7.3%
LT debt+3.6%−0.1%+20.0%+24.4%
Diluted shares−0.5%−0.7%−2.8%−1.8%
Stock price+5.8%+0.5%+9.0%+14.2%

$100, 3 years ago

$118vs $176 in SPY

5.8% vs 20.7%/yr

$100, 5 years ago

$102vs $181 in SPY

0.5% vs 12.6%/yr

$100, 10 years ago

$236vs $412 in SPY

9.0% vs 15.2%/yr

$100, 15 years ago

$736vs $813 in SPY

14.2% vs 15.0%/yr

The $1 test — market value created per $1 of earnings retained (Buffett's hurdle: at least $1)

Last 5 years

$0.02

$118.7M created / $5.1B retained

Last 10 years

$1.25

$14.7B created / $11.7B retained

Quality & capital discipline

Cash-based returns and how management deploys capital

Cash ROIC

73.3%

OCF ÷ (equity + debt)

OCF / EV yield

3.6%

MC vs 10× OCF

2.52

≤1 = priced under 10× OCF

Debt / FCF

6.0y

SBC / FCF

13.0%

Owner earnings

$2.1B

OCF − capex − SBC

OE yield

1.8%

Share count 5y

−1.6%

per year; negative = buybacks

Capital intensity

22.8%

net PP&E ÷ revenue

Sales efficiency

$0.16

new PP&E per $1 new revenue, 5y

Growth engine (5y): reinvested 2.8% of operating cash flow at an incremental return of 416.7% — an organically fundable growth rate of about 11.6% per year (growth ≈ reinvestment rate × incremental ROIC).

Checklist

15 of 26 checks pass · 58%. Checks with structurally missing inputs are excluded.

Growth & Consistency

7/7

  • Revenue growth

    9.6% · 5y CAGR ≥ 5%

    pass
  • EPS growth

    15.6% · 5y CAGR ≥ 5%

    pass
  • FCF growth

    84.5% · 5y CAGR ≥ 5%

    pass
  • Revenue rises consistently

    8 of 9 · up in ≥ 7 of last 10 years

    pass
  • FCF consistently positive

    10 of 10 · positive in ≥ 8 of last 10 years

    pass
  • Profitable every year

    10 of 10 · net income > 0 in ≥ 8 of last 10

    pass
  • Cash flow keeps up with sales

    24.3% vs 9.6% · OCF CAGR ≥ 0.9× revenue CAGR

    pass

Profitability

3/6

  • Net margin

    5.0% · ≥ 8%

    fail
  • Operating margin

    7.9% · ≥ 10%

    fail
  • Gross margin stable or rising

    · no drop > 2 pts over 3y

    na
  • Return on equity

    -22.9% · ≥ 12%

    fail
  • Cash ROIC

    73.3% · ≥ 12%

    pass
  • FCF margin

    6.6% · ≥ 5%

    pass
  • Earnings back their cash

    OCF $4.7B vs NI $1.9B · OCF ≥ net income (latest FY)

    pass

Balance Sheet

1/5

  • Debt payable from cash flow

    6.0y · LT debt ≤ 3× FCF

    fail
  • Cash cushion

    22% · cash ≥ 50% of LT debt

    fail
  • Leverage

    -1.80 · LT debt ≤ 1.5× equity

    pass
  • Equity positive and compounding

    −$8.1B · equity > 0 and grew over ~5y

    fail
  • Interest burden

    18% · interest ≤ 15% of operating income

    fail

Capital Allocation

3/4

  • Share count flat or shrinking

    -1.6% · ≤ +0.5%/yr over ~5y

    pass
  • Stock comp restrained

    13% · SBC ≤ 15% of FCF

    pass
  • Distributions funded by FCF

    113% · dividends + buybacks ≤ 100% of FCF

    fail
  • Repurchases are a habit

    8 of 10 · buybacks in ≥ 5 of last 10 years

    pass

Valuation Discipline

1/4

  • FCF yield

    2.0% · ≥ 3%

    fail
  • Earnings multiple

    64.5 · P/E ≤ 25

    fail
  • Price asks less than history delivered

    19.9% vs -0.0% · implied FCF growth ≤ historical FCF CAGR

    fail
  • Shareholder yield

    2.3% · dividends + buybacks ≥ 2% of market cap

    pass

Red flags

Mechanical checks — a flag is a question to investigate, not a verdict

Heavy debt load

Long-term debt exceeds 5 years of free cash flow.

Distributions exceed FCF

Dividends plus buybacks exceeded free cash flow in the latest fiscal year.

Financial data

As filed in 10-Ks; per-share figures split-adjusted. $ in millions.

FYRevenueGross profitOp incomeNet incomeEPSOCFCapExFCFDividendsBuybacksSBCCashLT debtEquityShares
202537,1842,9371,8561.634,7482,3062,4422,77103183,22014,576-8,0971,140
202436,1765,4093,7613.316,0962,7783,3182,5851,2673083,28614,320-7,4491,137
202335,9765,8714,1253.586,0092,3343,6752,4329843033,55213,548-7,9951,151
202232,2504,6183,2822.834,3971,8412,5562,2634,0132722,81813,120-8,7071,159
202129,0614,8724,1993.545,9891,4704,5192,11903196,45613,617-5,3211,186
202023,5181,5629280.791,5981,4841141,9241,6992494,35114,660-7,8051,182
201926,5094,0783,5992.925,0471,8073,2401,76110,2223082,68711,167-6,2321,233
201824,7203,8834,5183.2411,9381,9769,9611,7437,1342508,7569,0901,1701,395
201722,3874,1352,8851.974,2521,5192,7321,4502,0431762,4623,9335,4501,462
201621,3164,1722,8181.904,6981,4403,2581,1781,9962182,1293,1855,8841,487
201519,1633,6012,7571.823,7491,3042,4459291,4362101,5302,3485,8181,513
201416,4483,0812,0681.356081,161-5537837591831,7082,0485,2721,526
201314,892-32580.012,9081,1511,7576295881422,5761,2994,4801,525
201213,3001,9971,3840.911,7508568945135491541,1895505,1091,525
201111,7001,7291,2460.821,6125321,0813905561451,1485504,3851,518
201010,7071,4199460.631,7054461,2591712861141,1645493,6751,507
20099,7755623910.261,38944694300836005493,0461,471
200810,3835043160.221,2599852740311752705502,4911,463
20079,4121,0546730.441,3311,0802519971042812,2841,519

Some concepts are structurally absent for certain industries (banks report no gross profit or capex). Missing ≠ zero.