Starbucks Reports Decline in U.S. and International Sales, Misses Earnings

Starbucks Corporation (SBUX, Financials) shares slipped in after-hours trading following the release of its fiscal fourth-quarter results.

The business said that U.S. comparable store sales dropped 6%, mostly because of a 10% loss in comparable transactions; a 4% rise in the average ticket helped to somewhat offset this.

Driven by a 5% fall in the average ticket and a 4% decrease in comparable transactions, international comparable store sales also dropped 9%. Comparable store sales in China dropped by 14%; average ticket dropped by 8%; and transactions dropped by 6%.

Comparable store sales dropped by 7% worldwide for the quarter, while consolidated net income dropped by 3% to $9.1 billion from $9.4 billion in analyst projections. Operating margin of the firm dropped to 14.9%, from 15.2% a year before mostly owing to higher pay and benefit expenditures for staff and more promotional activities. Missing the $0.89 estimate and down from $1.06 in the same period previous year, Starbucks announced non-GAAP profits per share of $0.80.

Rachel Ruggeri, the chief financial officer, responded on the outcomes saying they do not accurately represent the brand strength of the business. Ruggeri voiced hope for Starbucks’s capacity to resume long-term expansion.

Brian Niccol, the CEO, said he needed a strategy change to draw in business.

The board of Starbucks also authorized a quarterly dividend rise from $0.57 to $0.61 per share. With a compound annual growth rate of almost 20%, the corporation has paid dividends 58 straight quarters.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.