Starbucks Stock Climbs as CEO Niccol Says ‘Back to Starbucks’ Plan Is Ahead of Schedule

Starbucks (SBUX) shares climbed in extended trading Tuesday, as CEO Brian Niccol said the company is “ahead of schedule” on its turnaround effort.

The coffee chain delivered revenue of $9.46 billion, up 4% year-over-year and ahead of the analyst consensus from Visible Alpha. However, adjusted earnings dropped to 50 cents per share from 93 cents per share a year earlier, missing estimates. Global same-store sales fell 2%, a wider decline than expected.

Starbucks shares rose 4% in after-hours trading. The stock was up about 2% for 2025 through Tuesday’s close.

Niccol touted the success of the “Back to Starbucks” turnaround plan, intended to speed up service and get customers to spend more time in cafes. Its initiatives have included using algorithms to sequence orders, expanding free refills, and having baristas return to writing customers’ names on cups. Starbucks has also seen layoffs.

“We’ve fixed a lot and done the hard work on the hard things to build a strong operating foundation, and based on my experience of turnarounds, we are ahead of schedule,” Niccol said.