Starbucks Faces Questions on Costs After Regaining Sales Growth

Starbucks Corp. Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol notched an early win in his turnaround efforts with growth in a key sales metric. His next task is to assure Wall Street as it embarks on a costly push to overhaul many of its coffee shops.

Sales at established locations gained 1% in its most recent quarter, breaking six straight periods of decline to send shares up after it reported earnings on Wednesday. But the stock erased those initial gains as Niccol detailed the company’s “Back to Starbucks” plan, suggesting investors are hungry for more concrete financial guidance.