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Global coffee giant Starbucks is one of top growth stocks to watch in 2020, but is it a buy in the current stock market rally?

Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) has already given guidance for its first fiscal quarter and the full year, but analysts are still looking forward to the coffee company’s coming earnings announcement, scheduled for Jan. 26 after the closing bell, in order to gain visibility about the company’s COVID-19 recovery path. Starbucks is guiding for first-quarter earnings per share in the range of 32 cents to 37 cents, and adjusted EPS of 50 cents to 55 cents. “Given the recent disclosure, we expect focus to be on any fiscal second quarter to-date trends, though we expect management to continue to point to a U.S. [comparable sales] recovery by the end of the current quarter, in part due to difficult January and February 2020 comparisons,” wrote RBC Capital Markets in a restaurants note published on Thursday.

Starbucks’ (SBUX) fiscal first-quarter top line is likely to be impacted by store closures, reduced operating hours, dismal customer traffic and heightened competition within the coffee segment.

“Starbucks’ early recovery plans are playing out” after a slow start, says MKM Partners analyst Brett Levy. He notes that recent outperformance means Starbucks stock is fully valued.

Investors looking for exposure to the fast food and restaurant space may want to consider Domino’s Pizza, Inc. (NYSE: DPZ), McDonald’s Corp (NYSE: MCD), and Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX), Goldman Sachs analysts said in a note that was subject of a recent CNBC “Trading Nation” segment.’Can’t Go Wrong’: Commenting on Goldman’s call on CNBC, Boris Schlossberg, managing director of FX strategy at BK Asset Management, said the three names have truly mastered the “fast-food experience.” The companies also boast large economies of scale that few others can match.Domino’s operates from a position of logistical power, McDonald’s can work quickly to streamline ordering and test new items like a meatless burger, and Starbucks leverages its app that generates incremental revenue in the millions of dollars.”You really can’t go wrong with Domino’s, Mickey D’s and Starbucks,” he said.Related Link: Morgan Stanley’s Restaurant Pair Trade: Upgrade Darden, Downgrade Restaurant BrandsOngoing Momentum: Domino’s, McDonald’s, and Starbucks should continue benefiting from recent momentum and “reward investors very well in the near future,” TradingAnalysis.com Founder Todd Gordon said on “Trading Nation. The fast-food and restaurant chains can also profit from an easier competitive environment after more than 100,000 independent restaurants that closed last year.”As much as I hate to say it, the world is changing,” he said. “Food services that are embracing this touchless payment on mobile apps, the loyalty programs, digital marketing, social media channels, those are the ones who will succeed.”(Photo: Big Mac, McDonald’s)See more from Benzinga * Click here for options trades from Benzinga * Morgan Stanley Upgrades Sally Beauty And Williams-Sonoma, Downgrades 4 Others * Why Should We Care About Joe Biden’s White House Peloton?(C) 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.