In the early hours of April 13, Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) stock received a quaint rating and price target upgrade.
Specifically, Jefferies’ Andy Barish issued a note revealing that his firm no longer ranks SBUX shares as a ‘Sell,’ while simultaneously raising the 12-month forecast from the previous $86.
Despite the positive change, the Wall Street expert stopped short of taking a bullish stance as his new Starbucks rating came in the form of a ‘Hold’ recommendation. Similarly, though SBUX stock is no longer expected to drop 11.11% from its press time price of $96.75 to $86, it is still predicted to decline 4.91% to $92.
Andy Barish explained the upgrade by revealing that the new, April 2 franchise deal in China has reduced international exposure, while the U.S. side of operations has stabilized, improving the odds of Starbucks successfully completing its turnaround.
Simultaneously, the Jefferies analyst backed his moderation by revealing that SBUX equity remains relatively overvalued, while the expectations for forthcoming growth are both low and warranted. Indeed, the analyst estimated the coffee chain might see 1.5% global net growth in 2026 and 1.8% in 2027.
Wall Street sets Starbucks stock price target for the next 12 months
Zooming out, Andy Barish is somewhat more bearish than the average of his peers on Wall Street.
Overall, Starbucks stock is viewed as a ‘Moderate Buy’ based on the sum of the ratings issued in the last three months. At press time on April 13, SBUX shares boast 13 ‘Buy’ recommendations, 12 ‘Hold’ ratings, and 2 institutional experts opting to position it as ‘Sell,’ per the data Finbold retrieved from TipRanks on the day.
The average 12-month Starbucks stock price target is also slightly higher than what Jefferies forecasted at $100.52, signaling a 4% rally is expected.
Still, the majority of recent analyst updates appear in line with Barish’s assessment. Out of the 12 revisions issued since February 1, 2026, 2 view SBUX equity as a ‘Sell,’ 2 as a ‘Buy,’ and 8 as ‘Hold.’
Lastly, DBS was the most bearish out of the 12 when it provided a ‘Sell’ recommendation and a $59 price target on February 10, and Evercore ISI was the most bullish on April 10 when it gave a ‘Buy’ rating and a $110 Starbucks stock 12-month forecast.
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