It was a happy holiday at Starbucks, but the company's sales momentum could start to slow due to the coronavirus outbreak in China.
New drinks like the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew were a hit with customers, helping the Seattle-based coffee giant beat Wall Street's forecasts in the October-December period. Starbucks reaffirmed its 2020 profit guidance for now, but said it has already closed more than half of its stores in China.
Starbucks reported Tuesday that its earnings rose 16% to $886 million in its fiscal first quarter. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring items like restructuring charges, were 79 cents per share. That beat Wall Street's forecast of 76 cents.
Starbucks said same-store sales — or sales at stores open at least 13 months — jumped 5% worldwide in the October-December period, ahead of analysts' forecast of 4.4%. Revenue was up 7% to $7.1 billion, in line with analysts' forecasts.
Starbucks said 1.4 million U.S. customers joined its Starbucks Rewards loyalty program during the quarter. The company said demand for mobile ordering and payment is growing in the U.S.
Danny Taing, founder and CEO of Bokksu, joined Cheddar News to discuss his path on how he became an entrepreneur to launch a company that delivers artisanal Japanese snacks. "When I moved back from Japan to New York, I had this bit of reverse culture shock ... a lot of people had somewhat of a one-dimensional view of Japan ... they saw this country where people ate sushi every day ... none of that is true," he said.
Will Rhind, CEO of GraniteShares, joined Cheddar News to discuss Thursday's trading session amid renewed fears over the regional banking crisis as well as concerns over the debt ceiling debate.
The United Food and Commercial Workers union, one of the country's largest, opposed the planned merger between grocery chains Kroger and Albertson's, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing concerns about lack of information and the potential viability of stores upon closing.
Johnson & Johnson's consumer-health unit Kenvue made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange and jumped about 20% on Thursday. Thibaut Mongon, CEO of Kenvue, joined Cheddar News to discuss business growth goals and what lies ahead for its well-known pipeline of products, including Band-Aid, Neutrogena, Tylenol, among others.
Cheddar News' reporter Angela Miles reports from the Cboe floor with Scott Bauer, CEO of the Prosper Trading Academy, to break down Apple, Moderna, and Datadog earnings for options traders.
