Stocks · News reference
Starbucks Corp (NASDAQ:SBUX) shares are climbing Monday. The company ruled out buying Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Reference Details
Poisar stores the source's headline, summary and market tags for reference. Reporting and full article text remain with the original publisher.
Keep reading
U.S. stock futures were swinging between gains and losses on Tuesday, as the Dow Jones and S&P 500 indices rose, while the Nasdaq 100 fell.
U.S. stocks traded mixed: Dow rose 0.47%, S&P 500 edged up, Nasdaq fell; energy led gains, while Chipotle dropped after Starbucks denied takeover rumors.
Starbucks is reportedly considering acquiring Chipotle Mexican Grill in what would be the largest-ever restaurant sector merger, valued at over $41 billion. The news sent Chipotle shares up nearly 7% while Starbucks shares dropped over 3%. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol, a former Chipotle CEO who engineered a successful turnaround there, is now attempting a similar transformation at Starbucks amid declining sales.
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo present different investment profiles for 2026. Coca-Cola offers superior profitability with a 27.3% net margin and strong historical returns (92% over 5 years), but trades at a premium valuation (27x P/E). PepsiCo provides better value with a lower P/E ratio (15x), higher dividend yield (4.6%), and diversified food/beverage portfolio, but faces commodity pressures and lower profitability margins (8.8% net margin). The choice depends on investor priorities: growth and profitability favor Coca-Cola, while value and income favor PepsiCo.