DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer

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.

Share:
More In Business
Minnesota Suit Against E-Cigarette Maker Juul Goes to Trial
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is slated to lead off opening statements expected for Tuesday in his state's lawsuit against Juul Labs – marking the first time any of the thousands of cases against the e-cigarette maker over its alleged marketing to young people is going to play out in a courtroom.
Lyft to Pick Up New CEO Amid Deepening Post-Pandemic Losses
Lyft co-founders Logan Green and John Zimmer are relinquishing their leadership roles to make way for a former Amazon executive as the ride-hailing service struggles to recover from the pandemic while long-time rival Uber has been regaining its momentum.
Fed Official: SVB Caused Its Own Collapse
The Fed's vice chair for supervision will testify Tuesday that the central bank will look into the possibility that a 2018 law contributed to SVB's collapse by allowing them to keep less cash on hand.
The Day Ahead: Economic Data, Senate Banking Hearing and Earnings
Cheddar News breaks down what to look for on The Day Ahead. Economic data, including Jan. home prices and consumer confidence, are slated to be released while the Senate Banking Committee has a hearing scheduled in the wake of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Earnings from Walgreens, Lululemon and Micron are also expected.
Disney Rolls Out First Round of Layoffs
Disney's first round of layoffs starts this week and will eventually to the loss of about 7,000 jobs after three rounds, according to a memo sent by CEO Bob Iger.
Biden's Pick to Lead FAA Withdraws Amid Shaky Senate Support
President Joe Biden’s choice to run the Federal Aviation Administration has withdrawn his nomination, a setback for the administration that comes after Denver International Airport CEO Phillip Washington appeared to lack enough support in the closely divided Senate.
Load More