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.
Jay Hatfield, chief investment officer for ICAP, joined Cheddar News to discuss how markets are reacting to labor market news and what the Federal Reserve will do next in terms of interest rates.
Kristin Cavallari, who first gained fame as a cast member of the MTV reality show Laguna Beach, is now the founder of a beauty company called Uncommon James. Cheddar News anchor Hena Doba took a walk with Cavallari to discuss her many business ventures.
Heardle, the name-that-tune game inspired by the Wordle craze, is being dropped by Spotify less than a year after the music-streaming giant acquired it.
Moderna and Merck & Co. have developed a cancer vaccine that cuts the risk of death or recurrence of most deadly skin cancer by 44 percent compared to Keytruda on its own, according to researchers.
Norwegian battery startup Freyr is planning its next factory in an Atlanta suburb because a new U.S. clean energy law offers generous tax credits for local production.
