STARBUCKS CORP quarterly report, Q3 FY2022

Starbucks Corporation — Q3 FY2022 Form 10-Q

Reporting period: Quarter ended July 3, 2022; year-to-date figures cover the first three quarters of fiscal 2022. Comparisons are to the quarter and first three quarters ended June 27, 2021. Starbucks operated more than 34,900 company-operated and licensed stores in 83 markets.

Financial performance

MetricQ3 FY2022Prior-year quarterFirst 3 quarters FY2022Prior-year period
Net revenue$8.15bn$7.50bn$23.84bn$20.91bn
Operating income$1.30bn$1.49bn$3.42bn$3.39bn
Operating margin15.9%19.9%14.4%16.2%
Net earnings attributable to Starbucks$913m$1.15bn$2.40bn$2.43bn
Diluted EPS$0.79$0.97$2.07$2.06
  • Quarterly revenue increased 8.7%, while operating income fell 13% and net earnings fell about 21%. Margin declined 400 basis points. YTD revenue rose 14%; operating income increased slightly, but margin declined 180 basis points.
  • Quarterly comparable store sales grew 3% globally: U.S. sales increased 9%, while China sales declined 44%. U.S. average ticket growth and new stores supported revenue; China restrictions sharply reduced customer mobility.
  • Inflationary product and supply-chain costs, partner wage and training investments, and China sales deleverage weighed on profitability. Strategic pricing and sales leverage outside China partly offset the pressure.
  • YTD operating cash flow was $3.30bn, versus $4.47bn; capital expenditures were $1.30bn. Investing activities used $1.38bn and financing activities used $5.07bn, including $4.01bn of share repurchases and $1.70bn of dividends paid.
  • At July 3, cash and cash equivalents were $3.18bn, versus $6.46bn at fiscal year-end; cash and investments totaled about $3.5bn. Current assets were $7.07bn and current liabilities $8.40bn. Shareholders’ deficit was $8.67bn.
  • Debt included approximately $14.93bn of long-term debt and $200m of short-term commercial paper. The company reported $2.8bn of general-purpose borrowing capacity, no revolver borrowings, and compliance with credit covenants.

Outlook, risks, and notable items

  • Management expected inflationary pressures, labor-market costs, and incremental investment in partners, technology, and digital capabilities to continue weighing on operating margin for the remainder of FY2022. It cited the U.S. reinvention plan as a longer-term opportunity to improve partner and customer experience. Fiscal-year capital expenditures were expected to be approximately $2bn.
  • Management said existing cash, operating cash flows, and borrowing capacity should fund business needs and shareholder distributions for at least the next 12 months. This is a forward-looking assessment, not a guarantee.
  • COVID-19 restrictions in China, inflation, commodity availability and prices, foreign exchange, labor costs, supply-chain disruption, and execution of reinvention initiatives were identified as risks. Management said it could not predict the duration or impact of pandemic-related disruption.
  • The company announced an estimated $15m–$20m of future reinvention-related restructuring costs, expected over the next three to nine months. It also recorded $20m of transaction costs associated with exiting the Russia market.
  • Share repurchases were temporarily suspended on April 4, 2022 to increase investment in stores and partners; none occurred in Q3. The company repurchased 36.3m shares for $4.0bn during the first three quarters. A quarterly dividend of $0.49 per share was approved.
  • The Evolution Fresh sale closed August 1, after the quarter; management did not expect a material effect on future results. In a California Proposition 65 coffee-warning lawsuit, Starbucks reported an appeal in progress and no recorded loss contingency, stating a material loss was less than reasonably possible.

Important facts for investors to verify

  • Whether China sales and customer traffic recover, and how that affects International segment results and consolidated margins.
  • Whether price increases can offset commodity, supply-chain, wage, and training costs without weakening customer demand.
  • Cash generation, capital spending, debt maturities, dividends, and the effect of continued shareholder distributions on liquidity.
  • Progress, costs, and expected benefits of the U.S. reinvention plan, including the disclosed restructuring estimate.
  • Developments in the California litigation and any other legal, labor, or regulatory matters that could materially affect results.