The coffee king will provide a window into the consumer’s mind when it announces earnings later today. Analysts expect Starbucks (SBUX) to report fourth-quarter earnings of about $0.2 per share on revenue of $2.4 billion compared with earnings of a penny per share on revenue of $2.5 billion for the same period a year ago. The expected higher earnings are attributed to the company’s decision to cut prices on easy-to-make beverages while boosting prices on more complicated drinks. Look for same-store sales to show improvement as the recession eases and the company’s cost-cutting efforts to begin to pay off. ...

If you yearn for overpriced sticky-sweet goo passed off as coffee you’ll love Starbucks (SBUX).There’s a lot to dislike about Starbucks. But even if you hate the company right down to the canned art on the wall you’ve got to admit those businessmen in Seattle sure know how to build an empire on faux exclusivity and inflated prices.When profits plunged 97% in the fourth quarter of 2008 optimists interpreted it as a sudden outbreak of good taste. No such luck. In the third quarter of 2009 the company earned $0.20 a share compared with a penny for the same ...

Starbucks (SBUX) plans to rip off the ambiance of small independently owned coffee houses repackage it under different corporate names and mass market the hep-cat result to the great unwashed. The first new store to be called 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea takes its name from the street address and is scheduled to open next week in Seattle. If successful the model will be extended to other areas of Seattle and then rolled out nationwide. Each new store will have a different name and will sell merchandise without the Starbucks logo. This is a smart move. Keep in mind ...

It may be time to start marinating the crow and looking for a good recipe for humble pie.

Coffee stocks have been seeing a surge in interest. The moves have generally come on in just the past few sessions and could be just beginning.