{"url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-25/starbucks-q4-earnings-store-closures","markdown_url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-25/starbucks-q4-earnings-store-closures.md","title":"Starbucks Q4 Earnings Beat as 250 More Stores Close","headline":"Starbucks Beat Q4 EPS Consensus by 31% and Now Faces 250 More North American Closures","description":"Starbucks beat Q4 EPS consensus by 31% and now faces roughly 250 more North American closures as tariff refunds fade and margins must reach 11%.","section":"Earnings & Results","published_at":"2026-10-25T16:26:59+00:00","modified_at":"2026-10-25T16:26:59+00:00","author":"News Desk","key_takeaways":["Starbucks reported non-GAAP EPS of $0.85, beating the $0.65 consensus by 30.79%.","Starbucks said it would close approximately 250 North American coffeehouses, a second round of closures under Brian Niccol.","Starbucks moved China retail into a licensed joint venture with Boyu Capital, a deal that closed in April 2026."],"companies":[{"name":"Starbucks","is_primary":true,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00005yp/starbucks","website":"https://www.starbucks.com"},{"name":"Boyu Capital","is_primary":false,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00025l5/boyu-capital","website":"https://boyucapital.cn"}],"source":{"publisher":"Yahoo","title":"Starbucks Earnings: Will Brian Niccol’s $500M Gamble Live Up to the Hype on Oct 29?","url":"https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/starbucks-earnings-brian-niccol-500m-151832387.html?ref=biztoc.com"},"other_sources":[],"tags":["Earnings & Results","Starbucks","Boyu Capital"],"body_markdown":"[Starbucks](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00005yp/starbucks) reported fiscal fourth-quarter non-GAAP EPS of $0.85, beating the $0.65 consensus by 30.79%, and said it would close approximately 250 North American coffeehouses. The results are due Thursday, October 29, after the close, [Yahoo](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/starbucks-earnings-brian-niccol-500m-151832387.html?ref=biztoc.com) reported. Starbucks is the Seattle-based coffee chain founded in 1971, led by chief executive Brian Niccol.\n\n## Starbucks Adds a Second Round of Closures\n\nGlobal comparable sales rose 7.9% on 4.2% transaction growth, and non-GAAP operating margin expanded 430 basis points to 14.4%, helped by IEEPA tariff refunds. Management raised full-year EPS guidance to $2.55 to $2.65.\n\nThe approximately 250 North American coffeehouse closures were the second round under Niccol and came with restructuring charges and a lower fiscal 2026 net new store outlook. In October, the board raised the quarterly dividend to $0.63 from $0.62. Niccol has declared the core two-year turnaround complete.\n\nConsensus calls for fourth-quarter normalized EPS of $0.7058 against $0.52 a year earlier, on revenue of $9.23 billion versus $9.57 billion. The lower revenue comes from moving China retail into a licensed joint venture with [Boyu Capital](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00025l5/boyu-capital), a deal that closed in April 2026. Boyu Capital agreed in September 2026 to acquire Xiamen Aircraft Leasing, with the deal expected to close by year-end, Investing.com reported.\n\n## Starbucks Store Count and Cost Programs\n\nStarbucks operates over 41,000 global locations, according to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), including 21,514 company-operated stores and 19,476 licensed locations worldwide, with the United States representing 72.9% of net sales. The same records list a $2 billion AI-driven cost savings program, with in-house AI tools replacing Microsoft inventory-tracking and IBM maintenance management systems and rollout targeted by late 2027.\n\n## Closures and Job Cuts Before the Report\n\nStarbucks has only one downtown Boston location left, with nearly 20 Greater Boston closures last year, and the chain's $1 billion restructuring eliminated about 900 corporate jobs, Inc. reported in October 2026. Two Starbucks stores at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport are closing due to contract expiration, with HMS Host planning layoffs and the Concourse A store closing December 31, 2026, The Seattle Times reported in October 2026. Starbucks abandoned a Chipotle merger, Seeking Alpha reported in October 2026.\n\n## Starbucks Guidance Due October 29\n\nManagement guided for U.S. comparable sales of 6.5% or better in the fourth quarter. Fiscal 2027 guidance is due with the October 29 results.\n","publisher":{"name":"News for Agent","url":"https://newsforagent.com"}}