Elliott Management has taken a significant stake in coffee chain Starbucks and is engaging with management to find ways to improve the company's share price, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The firm did not hold a Starbucks stake as of March 31, its most recent disclosure. In April, the company reported disappointing quarterly results, with U.S. same-store sales falling 3% and traffic dropping 7%. Starbucks reported rates of incomplete mobile app orders in the mid-teens and said occasional customers came in less often. Narasimhan was hand-picked by returnee Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to lead the company after his prior successor, Kevin Johnson, stepped down.

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Persons: Elliott, Johnson, Laxman Narasimhan, Narasimhan, Howard Schultz, Kevin Johnson, Schultz, — CNBC's Amelia Lucas Organizations: Elliott Management, Wall Street, Starbucks, Southwest, Johnson Controls, Texas Instruments, Strategic, Center, U.S Locations: SoftBank