Starbucks sales miss expectations, but its U.S. turnaround is gaining steam

Starbucks on Thursday reported mixed quarterly results as its international cafes underperformed expectations.

However, its U.S. turnaround continues to take hold, as its home market topped expectations during the coffee giant's final quarter of fiscal 2026.

"We enter fiscal 2027 with momentum, a clear set of priorities and higher ambitions for what Starbucks can become," CEO Brian Niccol said in a video shared on the company's website.

Here's what the company reported for the quarter ended Sept. 27 compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:

Net revenue fell 4% to $9.1 billion, reflecting the shift in its China business to a joint venture business model.

The company's global same-store sales increased 7.2%, fueled by growth in average ticket, and beating Wall Street estimates of 6%, according to StreetAccount. Transactions grew 1.8% in the quarter.

Starbucks' U.S. cafes reported same-store sales growth of 7.7%, topping StreetAccount estimates of a 6.5% increase.

Outside of North America, the company's international comparable sales ticked up 0.9%, as traffic declines offset an increase to average ticket. That growth fell short of analyst estimates of a 3.2% increase, according to StreetAccount.

Starbucks opened 303 net new cafes during the quarter. In September, the company announced it would close about 1% of its North American footprint, or about 250 locations, as part of its turnaround.