Starbucks surges as activist Elliott takes sizeable stake, WSJ Says

Investing.com -- Starbucks jumped late into the close Friday after the Wall Street Journal reported that activist fund Elliott Investment Management has taken a sizeable stake in the coffee chain. 

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) closed up 6.9% Friday, but is nursing losses of about 15% year to date. 

Elliott, which has built a reputation for forcing chance at tech companies, has been in talks with the company in recent weeks on ways to boost its share price, and a possible agreement could be reached soon, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing unnamed sources. 

But the size of Elliott’s stake as well as other demands including whether the activity fund is seeking seats on Starbucks' board couldn’t be determined, the report added. 

The coffee chain has only recently put an ugly proxy fight in the rearview mirror after reaching an agreement with a group of labor unions.

The activist's interest comes as the company is facing slowing growth after reporting a decline in foot traffic and weaker-than-expected quarterly results in April that forced the coffee chain to cut its guidance for second time this year. 

Starbucks has sought to turn its fortunes around by sprucing up its menu, ramping up promotional offers and improving speed of service that has seen "increased traffic during the evening and on weekends, and continued strength in delivery and mobile orders," Wedbush said Friday, citing its recent checks. 

The risk of another slash to guidance is unlikely, Wedbush added, though cautioned that "2025 visibility remains very limited."

Investors are likely to be eager for a further update on performance when Starbucks report fiscal third-quarter results due July 30.