Starbucks Reports Q3 Fiscal 2019 Results

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) reported financial results for its 13-week fiscal third quarter ended June 30, 2019. GAAP results in fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2018 include items which are excluded from non-GAAP results. Please refer to the reconciliation of GAAP measures to non-GAAP measures at the end of this release for more information.

“Starbucks delivered strong operating performance in the third quarter, further demonstrating that our ‘Growth at Scale’ agenda is working,” says Kevin Johnson, president and ceo. “Our two targeted long-term growth markets, the U.S. and China, performed extremely well across a number of measures as a result of our focus on enhancing the customer experience, driving new beverage innovation and accelerating the expansion of our digital customer relationships. Given the strong momentum across our business, we are raising our full-year financial outlook.”

“Starbucks continues to be focused and disciplined in the execution of our three key strategic priorities that we established last year: accelerating growth in the U.S. and China, expanding the global reach of the Starbucks brand through our Global Coffee Alliance with Nestlé, and increasing shareholder returns. With our efforts to streamline the company and elevate the Starbucks brand, we are positioning the company to deliver predictable and sustainable operating results while building an enduring company that creates meaningful long-term value for Starbucks shareholders,” concluded Johnson.

PDF: Detailed financial data

Q3 Fiscal 2019 Highlights

• Global comparable store sales increased 6%, driven by a 3% increase in average ticket and a 3% increase in comparable transactions

-Americas comparable store sales increased 7%, driven by a 4% increase in average ticket and a 3% increase in transactions; U.S. comparable store sales increased 7%, with transactions up 3%
-China/Asia Pacific comparable store sales increased 5%, driven by a 3% increase in average ticket and a 2% increase in transactions; China comparable store sales increased 6%, with transactions up 2%

• The company opened 442 net new stores in Q3, yielding 30,626 stores at the end of the quarter, a 7% increase over the prior year. Nearly one-third of net new store openings were in China and 48% were in other international markets
• Consolidated net revenues of $6.8 billion grew 8% over the prior year

-Consolidated net revenues grew 11% over the prior year adjusted for unfavorable impacts of approximately 2% from Streamline-driven activities and 1% from foreign currency translation
-Streamline-driven activities include the licensing of our CPG and foodservice businesses to Nestlé following the close of the transaction on August 26, 2018, and the conversion of certain international retail operations from company-operated to licensed models

• GAAP operating margin, inclusive of restructuring and impairment charges, declined 10 basis points year-over-year to 16.4%, primarily due to partner (employee) investments, largely in the Americas segment, licensing of our CPG and foodservice businesses to Nestlé, product mix and higher inventory reserves, partially offset by sales leverage, cost savings initiatives and the adoption of new revenue recognition accounting for stored value card (SVC) breakage

-Non-GAAP operating margin of 18.3% declined 20 basis points compared to the prior year. Excluding a 70-basis point unfavorable impact from Streamline-related activities, non-GAAP operating margin expanded by approximately 50 basis points

• GAAP Earnings Per Share of $1.12, up 84% over the prior year

-Non-GAAP EPS of $0.78, up 26% over the prior year, inclusive of a $0.03 benefit from discrete income tax items

• The company returned $581 million to shareholders through a combination of share repurchases and dividends
• Starbucks^® Rewardsloyalty program grew to 17.2 million active members in the U.S., up 14% year-over-year