Starbucks appears expensive in U.S. restaurant space, says Bernstein. Bernstein analyst Sara Senatore told investors in a research note that in the U.S. restaurant space, Starbucks (SBUX) appears expensive. She views the relatively large valuation as "surprising" given that she believes the risk to growth is more likely to the downside than the upside, and thinks Starbucks is confronting an increasingly mature U.S. market, lower marginal returns and slower growth. She expects fundamental upside from peers McDonald's (MCD), Darden (DRI), Chipotle (CMG) and Yum! (YUM). Senatore has a Market Perform rating and $64 price target on Starbucks.
