Starbucks Earnings Solid Enough for More All-Time Highs

The company gave its financial targets for its fiscal third quarter and 2015 fiscal year. For the quarter the company expects EPS to be in the range of $0.40 to $0.41, compared to the consensus estimate of $0.40 in EPS.

Starbucks expects full-year revenue growth to be in a range of 16% to 18%, EPS to be in the range of $1.55 to $1.57 and a total of 1,650 net new stores to be opened. There are consensus estimates of $1.57 in earnings per share and $19.11 billion in revenue.

Some 210 net new stores were opened in the second quarter, including Starbucks’ 5,000th store in China/Asia Pacific, bringing total stores worldwide to 22,088. The comparable store transactions increased over 10 million in the United States on a year-over-year basis, and over 14 million globally.

In terms of its segments Starbucks reported its fiscal second-quarter revenues and store information:

• The Americas segment had revenues of $3.13 billion, up 11% from the previous year. A net of two stores were closed for this segment.
• The EMEA segment had revenues of $280.3 million, down 10% from last year. A net of 35 new stores were opened.
• The China/Asia Pacific segment had revenues of $595.2 million, up 124% from the same period last year. A net of 176 new stores was opened in this quarter.

During this quarter, Starbucks conducted a two-for-one stock split. Shares began trading on a split-adjusted basis on April 9.

Howard Schultz, chairman and CEO of Starbucks, said:

Starbucks record financial and operating performance in the second quarter was driven by our people all around the world yet woven together by one common thread – industry leading partner (employee) facing and customer facing innovation.

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Shares of Starbucks closed Thursday up 2.3% at $49.43. In the after-hours when the earnings came out, shares were up 4.8% at $51.81, hitting a new all-time high. The stock has a consensus analyst price target of $50.94 and a 52-week trading range of $34.57 to $49.60.