# How Starbucks (SBUX) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

> Source: EasyCompare research, https://easycompare.io/research/sbux
> Data as of October 20, 2026. Total returns include reinvested dividends. Past performance does not predict future results; nothing here is investment advice.

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on SBUX alone. It places SBUX (Starbucks Corporation) against 20+ popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where SBUX stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: SBUX's full trading record, from June 1992 through September 2026. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 20, 2026.

## Key findings

- **Right now:** SBUX has gone against the market, falling 4.6% over the past 3 months while the S&P 500 rose 3.9%. Its restaurant peers split over the past 3 months: YUM (Yum! Brands) rose 3.4%, while BROS (Dutch Bros) fell 33.9%.
- **Stock or market?:** SBUX fell 4.6% over the past 3 months, less than the 0.98 beta versus the S&P 500 would have implied (3.8%). Its restaurant peers did not move as one over the past 3 months: YUM (Yum! Brands) rose 3.4%, while BROS (Dutch Bros) fell 33.9%.
- **Past 1 to 3 years:** Over the past year, SBUX rose 20.6% against 15.8% for the S&P 500 and 17.9% for the Nasdaq 100. Even so, the last two calendar years both went the same way: SBUX fell 5.3% in 2025, against 15.8% for the S&P 500 and 17.9% for the Nasdaq 100.
- **Long term:** SBUX turned $10,000 into $23,000 over the past decade, against $42,100 in the S&P 500.
- **In a crash:** The 2022 bear market took 38.4% off SBUX, against 24.5% for the S&P 500. That was more than MCD (McDonald's, 17.2%) but less than DPZ (Domino's Pizza, 43.1%). SBUX fell further than the S&P 500 in three of the last four sell-offs, including the 2022 bear market (38.4% against 24.5%).
- **Diversification:** SBUX is some diversification, but not a hedge: a correlation of 0.51 with the S&P 500 over 5 years and 0.51 with the total US market, more closely than 75% of stocks worth at least $300 million.
- **Better options**
  - **Popular alternatives:** KO (Coca-Cola), SJM (J. M. Smucker) and MCD (McDonald's) earned more than SBUX with less volatility over the past 5 years. KO returned 14.7% a year at 16.8% volatility, against a loss of 0.4% a year at 31.9%.
  - **Nearby categories and themes:** MNST (Monster Beverage, food & beverages) and CCEP (Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, food & beverages) earned more than SBUX with less volatility over the past 5 years. MNST returned 17.2% a year at 24.9% volatility, against a loss of 0.4% a year at 31.9%.
  - **Whole market:** 1,368 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than SBUX with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them AAPL (Apple), MSFT (Microsoft) and VTI (Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF).

## How much would $10,000 in SBUX have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in SBUX over the past 29 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of SBUX over the same span and SBUX's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period.

- $10,000 invested in SBUX at the end of September 1997 would have grown to $491,988 by September 2026, more than the $132,907 it would have become in SPY, an S&P 500 fund.
- Five of the eight other investments on the chart ended ahead of SBUX, and MNST finished highest, at $45,663,831.

## SBUX at a glance

This section summarizes the key facts about the stock, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout.

- SBUX's deepest decline since it began trading in 1992 was 81.9%, from May 2006 to November 2008. It took about three years from the low to climb back to its old high.
- Over 29 full calendar years, SBUX's best was 2009, when it returned 144%, and its worst was 2008, when it lost 53.7%. It lost money in ten of those years.
- SBUX is 10.9% below its all-time high.

- Type: Stock, Consumer Discretionary (Restaurants)
- Trading since: June 26, 1992
- Market value: $113B
- Volatility (5 years): 31.9%; Sharpe ratio: 0.15
- Worst decline ever: −81.9%, from May 5, 2006 to November 20, 2008; back at its high by June 28, 2011

| Period | SBUX total return |
| --- | --- |
| 1 month | +4.7% |
| 3 months | −4.6% |
| 6 months | +1.6% |
| year to date | +20.5% |
| 1 year | +20.6% |
| 3 years | +13.8% |
| 5 years | −1.7% |
| 10 years | +130% |

## SBUX against the whole market

Where SBUX ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.

### How does SBUX rank among all stocks?

This section ranks SBUX on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history.

- SBUX's worst decline of the past 10 years ranks in the top 11% of the 2,187 stocks worth at least $300 million, where the top fell the least.

| Measure | SBUX | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-year return | +20.6% | 1,222 of 3,287 (top 38%) |
| 3-year return | +13.8% | 2,109 of 3,017 (top 70%) |
| 5-year return | −1.7% | 1,751 of 2,893 (top 61%) |
| 10-year return | +130% | 1,182 of 2,202 (top 54%) |
| Volatility, 5 years | 31.9% | 897 of 2,893 (top 32%) |
| Sharpe ratio, 5 years | 0.15 | 1,997 of 2,893 (top 70%) |
| Worst decline, past 10 years | −43.7% | 248 of 2,187 (top 12%) |

### What has beaten SBUX on both return and risk?

Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer).

- 540 stocks and 828 ETFs worth at least $500 million sit in the green region: each earned more than SBUX over the past 5 years with smaller price swings. That is 38% of the 3,633 screened.
- Among those with at least half SBUX's swings, CAH has the best return for its risk: 42.1% a year at 24.7% volatility, 22% less than SBUX's 31.9%, and a Sharpe ratio (return above cash per unit of volatility) of 1.55 against 0.15 for SBUX.
- Among SBUX's popular alternatives, KO, QSR and YUM are in the region. KO earned 14.7% a year against a loss of 0.4% a year for SBUX, at 16.8% volatility, 47% less than SBUX's 31.9%.

### Is there a better investment than SBUX?

The table below lists investments that beat SBUX over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes.

- Among SBUX's popular alternatives, KO, SJM and MCD earned more than SBUX with less volatility over the past 5 years. KO returned 14.7% a year at 16.8% volatility, against a loss of 0.4% a year at 31.9%.
- Looking beyond its popular alternatives, MNST (food & beverages) and CCEP (food & beverages) earned more than SBUX with less volatility over the past 5 years. MNST returned 17.2% a year at 24.9% volatility, against a loss of 0.4% a year at 31.9%.
- Across the whole market, 1,368 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than SBUX with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them AAPL, MSFT and VTI.

The 15 strongest of 1,368 investments that beat SBUX over the past 5 years, out of 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million.

| Investment | Group | Annual return (5 years) | Volatility | Sharpe | Worst decline (10 years) | 10Y return | Correlation with SBUX | Better on |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SBUX: Starbucks Corporation (this page) |  | −0.4% | 31.9% | 0.15 | −43.7% | +130% |  |  |
| [PG](https://easycompare.io/research/pg): The Procter & Gamble Company | Household & Personal Products | +5.1% | 18.3% | 0.37 | −23.8% | +145% | 0.40 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| JAAA: Janus Henderson AAA CLO ETF | CLO Bonds | +5.1% | 1.7% | 2.98 | −2.6% | — | 0.20 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [AAPL](https://easycompare.io/research/aapl): Apple Inc. | Computer Hardware | +18.5% | 28.0% | 0.75 | −38.5% | +1,168% | 0.20 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [MSFT](https://easycompare.io/research/msft): Microsoft Corporation | Software | +12.5% | 28.2% | 0.56 | −37.1% | +946% | 0.18 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [VTI](https://easycompare.io/research/vti): Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF | US Total Market | +11.5% | 17.5% | 0.71 | −35.0% | +302% | 0.51 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [VOO](https://easycompare.io/research/voo): Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | US Large-Cap Equity | +12.8% | 16.9% | 0.80 | −34.0% | +324% | 0.51 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [BRK-B](https://easycompare.io/research/brk-b): Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | Insurance | +13.4% | 17.1% | 0.82 | −29.6% | +274% | 0.36 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [JNJ](https://easycompare.io/research/jnj): Johnson & Johnson | Pharmaceuticals | +12.7% | 17.9% | 0.76 | −27.4% | +196% | 0.32 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [V](https://easycompare.io/research/v): Visa Inc. | Payment Processing | +12.8% | 22.9% | 0.64 | −36.4% | +429% | 0.46 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| LVHI: Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF | International Equity | +17.0% | 11.1% | 1.48 | −32.4% | +194% | 0.44 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| BALT: Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF | Crypto | +6.3% | 3.3% | 1.85 | −4.9% | — | 0.51 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| VRIG: Invesco Variable Rate Investment Grade ETF | Bonds | +4.7% | 1.3% | 3.51 | −13.1% | +40.5% | 0.16 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [QQQ](https://easycompare.io/research/qqq): Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 | US Large-Cap Growth | +14.5% | 23.0% | 0.71 | −35.1% | +553% | 0.38 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [MCK](https://easycompare.io/research/mck): McKesson Corporation | Health Care Distribution | +38.7% | 25.0% | 1.44 | −38.1% | +586% | 0.06 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [VTV](https://easycompare.io/research/vtv): Vanguard Morningstar Value ETF | US Large-Cap Value | +12.1% | 13.7% | 0.90 | −36.8% | +235% | 0.57 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |

## SBUX against its popular alternatives

The investments people most often weigh against SBUX, compared period by period and year by year.

### How do SBUX's risk and return compare with its alternatives?

This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings.

- Ten of the 20 popular alternatives earned less than SBUX over the past 5 years while swinging more, the weaker corner of the map.
- Seven of the 20 popular alternatives, led by KO, NATH and QSR, were both more rewarding and calmer than SBUX over the past 5 years, earning a higher annual return with lower volatility.
- Over the past 5 years, SBUX returned -0.4% a year, less than the S&P 500's 12.7%, with higher volatility (31.9% against 17.1%).

### Has SBUX consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares SBUX with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years.

- Four of the 22 popular alternatives, led by KDP, KO and LOCO, outperformed SBUX in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes.
- KDP and KO outperformed SBUX in every long-term period and in all but one short-term period, the most consistent record in the group.
- KO, SJM and MCD earned more for the risk they took than SBUX (a higher Sharpe ratio) and fell less in their worst decline of the past 10 years.

| Investment | 1Y return | 3Y return | 5Y return | 10Y return | Periods ahead of SBUX | Verdict | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SBUX: Starbucks Corporation (this page) | +20.6% | +13.8% | −1.7% | +130% |  |  | 0.15 |
| [KDP](https://easycompare.io/research/kdp): Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. | +28.7% | +31.9% | +13.4% | +281% | 5/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 0.23 |
| [KO](https://easycompare.io/research/ko): The Coca-Cola Company | +40.2% | +86.8% | +98.2% | +204% | 5/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 0.91 |
| LOCO: El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. | +65.4% | +90.3% | +21.3% | +48.5% | 5/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.28 |
| SJM: The J. M. Smucker Company | +28.1% | +29.3% | +26.7% | +37.2% | 5/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.32 |
| [YUM](https://easycompare.io/research/yum): Yum! Brands, Inc. | +4.3% | +34.0% | +32.5% | +192% | 2/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.37 |
| NATH: Nathan's Famous, Inc. | −4.6% | +77.0% | +90.5% | +155% | 1/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.61 |
| QSR: Restaurant Brands International Inc. | +14.9% | +27.3% | +46.8% | +127% | 1/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.45 |
| [MCD](https://easycompare.io/research/mcd): McDonald's Corporation | −17.8% | +2.7% | +15.5% | +181% | 0/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.25 |
| SHAK: Shake Shack Inc. | −24.7% | +27.0% | −5.7% | +115% | 2/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.24 |
| WING: Wingstop Inc. | −48.6% | −26.3% | −17.2% | +479% | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.19 |
| BROS: Dutch Bros Inc. | −21.9% | +73.0% | −28.7% | — | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.20 |
| CAVA: CAVA Group, Inc. | −7.8% | +74.1% | — | — | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | — |
| [CMG](https://easycompare.io/research/cmg): Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. | −28.8% | −19.0% | −18.7% | +266% | 0/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.06 |
| SG: Sweetgreen, Inc. | +43.6% | −2.3% | — | — | 5/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | — |
| DPZ: Domino's Pizza, Inc. | −23.6% | −4.4% | −25.7% | +116% | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.05 |
| YUMC: Yum China Holdings, Inc. | +2.9% | −7.1% | −19.4% | +108% | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.07 |
| PTLO: Portillo's Inc. | −19.3% | −69.0% | −84.3% | — | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.38 |
| [PEP](https://easycompare.io/research/pep): PepsiCo, Inc. | −9.2% | −6.7% | −2.3% | +72.6% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.07 |
| WEN: The Wendy's Company | −22.3% | −59.5% | −63.0% | −16.5% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.37 |
| PZZA: Papa John's International, Inc. | −63.5% | −67.8% | −82.0% | −70.9% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.59 |
| JACK: Jack in the Box Inc. | −30.0% | −80.1% | −86.8% | −85.0% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.52 |
| DNUT: Krispy Kreme, Inc. | −8.9% | −75.6% | −77.7% | — | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.25 |

### How did SBUX do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 1997, along with where SBUX ranked among its popular alternatives each year.

- SBUX finished ahead of the S&P 500 in 16 of its 29 full calendar years, and behind it in each of the last three.
- Ranked against its popular alternatives each year, SBUX finished in the top quarter in eight of 29 years and in the bottom quarter in three. In 2025, it ranked 11 of 23.
- Among its popular alternatives, DPZ came out ahead of SBUX most often, in 15 of the 21 years both traded.

| Year | SBUX | SPY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2025 | −5.3% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | −2.5% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | −1.2% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | −13.2% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +11.1% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | +24.2% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +39.1% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | +14.7% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | +5.4% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | −6.1% | +12.0% |

## Risk and diversification

How SBUX has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.

### What were SBUX's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high.

- In all five of SBUX's worst declines, the S&P 500 held up better over the same dates.
- The slowest recovery came after SBUX fell 81.9% from May 2006 to November 2008; it did not regain that peak until June 2011, three years later.

| Decline | Peak | Low | Back at the high | SPY over the same dates | Market event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −81.9% | May 5, 2006 | November 20, 2008 | June 28, 2011 | −40.3% | 2008 financial crisis |
| −50.0% | July 6, 1998 | September 17, 1998 | March 5, 1999 | −12.1% |  |
| −49.5% | May 12, 1999 | August 10, 1999 | March 30, 2000 | −5.6% |  |
| −44.1% | February 12, 2001 | September 26, 2001 | April 10, 2002 | −23.3% | dot-com bust |
| −43.7% | July 26, 2021 | May 11, 2022 | not yet | −10.1% | 2022 bear market |

### How did SBUX do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far SBUX, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000.

- Among its popular alternatives, KDP held up best, falling less than SBUX in seven of the eight crashes they both traded through.
- SBUX fell less than the S&P 500 in five of the ten crashes it has traded through. The clearest case was the late-2018 sell-off, when SBUX fell 11.4% and the S&P 500 fell 19.3%.

| Crash | Dates | SBUX fall | SPY fall |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dot-com bust | March 10, 2000 to October 9, 2002 | −44.1% | −47.5% |
| Global financial crisis | October 9, 2007 to March 9, 2009 | −73.2% | −55.2% |
| Flash crash | May 6, 2010 to May 7, 2010 | −0.6% | −1.5% |
| Euro debt crisis | July 22, 2011 to October 3, 2011 | −15.5% | −17.9% |
| China devaluation & oil rout | August 10, 2015 to February 11, 2016 | −14.2% | −12.8% |
| Volmageddon | February 2, 2018 to February 9, 2018 | −3.0% | −6.5% |
| Q4 2018 selloff | September 21, 2018 to December 24, 2018 | −11.4% | −19.3% |
| COVID crash | February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020 | −37.5% | −33.7% |
| 2022 bear market | January 4, 2022 to October 12, 2022 | −38.4% | −24.5% |
| SVB / regional bank stress | March 8, 2023 to March 13, 2023 | −3.3% | −3.4% |

### How closely does SBUX move with the S&P 500?

Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell.

- Nine of the 16 popular alternatives had a higher capture ratio (upside capture divided by downside capture) than SBUX's 0.76, led by NATH, KDP and KO.
- YUM took just 70% of the S&P 500's losses, against 107% for SBUX, while still keeping 67% of its gains.
- Over the past 10 years, SBUX captured 81% of the S&P 500's gains in rising months and 107% of its losses in falling months, with a beta of 0.94. Its share of the market's losses was larger than its share of the gains.

Measured over the past 10 years of monthly returns against SPY.

| Investment | Upside capture | Downside capture | Beta |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SBUX: Starbucks Corporation (this page) | 81.0% | 107% | 0.94 |
| [KDP](https://easycompare.io/research/kdp): Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. | 59.0% | 38.0% | 0.56 |
| [KO](https://easycompare.io/research/ko): The Coca-Cola Company | 57.0% | 44.0% | 0.47 |
| LOCO: El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. | 80.0% | 137% | 1.15 |
| SJM: The J. M. Smucker Company | 25.0% | 38.0% | 0.30 |
| [YUM](https://easycompare.io/research/yum): Yum! Brands, Inc. | 67.0% | 70.0% | 0.82 |
| NATH: Nathan's Famous, Inc. | 45.0% | 27.0% | 0.34 |
| QSR: Restaurant Brands International Inc. | 67.0% | 78.0% | 0.83 |
| [MCD](https://easycompare.io/research/mcd): McDonald's Corporation | 58.0% | 52.0% | 0.52 |
| SHAK: Shake Shack Inc. | 85.0% | 131% | 1.68 |
| WING: Wingstop Inc. | 123% | 137% | 1.57 |
| [CMG](https://easycompare.io/research/cmg): Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. | 103% | 111% | 1.16 |
| DPZ: Domino's Pizza, Inc. | 77.0% | 98.0% | 0.75 |
| [PEP](https://easycompare.io/research/pep): PepsiCo, Inc. | 48.0% | 65.0% | 0.48 |
| WEN: The Wendy's Company | 32.0% | 78.0% | 0.68 |
| PZZA: Papa John's International, Inc. | 32.0% | 141% | 1.08 |
| JACK: Jack in the Box Inc. | 49.0% | 214% | 1.61 |

### What diversifies SBUX?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions).

- Moving a fifth of the money in SBUX into DXJ would have cut the portfolio's volatility by 18% over the past 5 years and raised its annual return (-0.8% for SBUX alone, +5.0% for the mix).
- FIX made money in eight of the ten calendar years in which SBUX lost money.
- Among large ETFs, LVHI, DXJ and HDV have moved largely independently of SBUX over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.49 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.

| Investment | Correlation with SBUX | 5Y return | Volatility | Sharpe | Rose in SBUX's 10 down years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LVHI: Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF | 0.44 | +119% | 11.1% | 1.48 | 4 of 10 |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | 0.21 | +225% | 19.1% | 1.34 | 5 of 10 |
| HDV: iShares Core High Dividend ETF | 0.49 | +83.3% | 13.0% | 1.00 | 5 of 10 |
| FTLS: First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF | 0.47 | +62.9% | 10.4% | 0.99 | 4 of 10 |
| EWP: iShares MSCI Spain ETF | 0.36 | +140% | 20.3% | 0.97 | 5 of 10 |
| MLPX: Global X - MLP & Energy Infrastructure ETF | 0.39 | +135% | 19.7% | 0.97 | 5 of 10 |
| [SMH](https://easycompare.io/research/smh): VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 0.33 | +323% | 36.9% | 0.97 | 6 of 10 |
| [GLD](https://easycompare.io/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | 0.20 | +126% | 18.9% | 0.96 | 7 of 10 |

## Common questions

### What was SBUX's worst drawdown?

SBUX's deepest decline since it began trading in 1992 was 81.9%, from May 2006 to November 2008. It took about three years from the low to climb back to its old high.

### What were SBUX's best and worst years?

Over 29 full calendar years, SBUX's best year was 2009, when it returned 144%. Its worst was 2008, with a return of -53.7%.

### Is there a better investment than SBUX?

Among SBUX's popular alternatives, KO, SJM and MCD earned more than SBUX with less volatility over the past 5 years. KO returned 14.7% a year at 16.8% volatility, against a loss of 0.4% a year at 31.9%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, MNST (food & beverages) and CCEP (food & beverages) earned more than SBUX with less volatility over the past 5 years. MNST returned 17.2% a year at 24.9% volatility, against a loss of 0.4% a year at 31.9%.

### Is SBUX more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. SBUX's volatility over the past 5 years was 31.9%, 1.9 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, SBUX's return lands within 31.9% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

### What is SBUX's Sharpe ratio?

SBUX's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.15, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so SBUX earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.

### How correlated is SBUX with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, SBUX's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.51 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They often move together: some diversification next to an index fund, but not a cushion. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against SBUX instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a SBUX holding.

### What are the best alternatives to SBUX?

Of the 22 popular alternatives we compared, four outperformed SBUX in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: KDP, KO and LOCO.

### Did SBUX outperform the S&P 500?

SBUX finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 16 of 29 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned -5.3%, against +17.7% for the index.

### How did SBUX do in stock market crashes?

SBUX fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in five of the ten major crashes it has traded through, and further in four. The clearest case was the late-2018 sell-off, when SBUX fell 11.4% and the S&P 500 fell 19.3%.

### What diversifies SBUX?

These had a low correlation with SBUX over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, LVHI (correlation 0.44), DXJ (correlation 0.21) and HDV (correlation 0.49); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.30), CLS (correlation 0.14) and FIX (correlation 0.27). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

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## Explore further

- Full page with charts: https://easycompare.io/research/sbux
- All research pages: https://easycompare.io/llms.txt
- Compare the entire market against SBUX live: https://betterthanspy.com/?b=SBUX&utm_source=easycompare&utm_medium=research