Remember back in March when Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz told investors the company was “heading towards and past a $100 billion market cap?” Well, on Thursday at Starbuck's (SBUX) Biennial Investor Day, Schultz is expected to lay out some of the groundwork for reaching that milestone. “We are going to see the future of Starbucks laid out by Howard Schultz.” said Brian Sozzi, CEO of Belus Capital Advisors.
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A big part of the coffee chain's future will likely be less about eggnog lattes and more about delivering them, predicts Sozzi. “For them its going to be same day delivery in 2015. Who do they link up with? I think its Uber.” Why Uber? Sozzi says a partnership would provide investors with an infrastructure plan for the delivery service, while also adjusting to a drop in store traffic. “It gets you the product as quick as possible because you are not visiting the stores and malls as much as you were.” For Uber, a partnership would help it move beyond being just a hip taxi service, notes Sozzi.
Few investors doubt Schultz’s vision and commitment to the brand. He founded the company in 1985 and came out of retirement in 2008 to turn it around after several missteps. However, whether he can reach the $100 billion market cap mark remains to be seen. For now, investors need more convincing based on the share price which has gained just 5% this year, trailing the 13% gain in the S&P 500 (^GSPC).
Perhaps, Thursday's investor meeting will give the stock the caffeine jolt it needs.
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