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Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) and the best and worst performers in the beverages, alcohol, and tobacco industry.
These companies' performance is influenced by brand strength, marketing strategies, and shifts in consumer preferences. Changing consumption patterns are particularly relevant and can be seen in the rise of cannabis, craft beer, and vaping or the steady decline of soda and cigarettes. Companies that spend on innovation to meet consumers where they are with regards to trends can reap huge demand benefits while those who ignore trends can see stagnant volumes. Finally, with the advent of the social media, the cost of starting a brand from scratch is much lower, meaning that new entrants can chip away at the market shares of established players.
The 15 beverages, alcohol, and tobacco stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.6% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.6% below.
In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady. On average, they are relatively unchanged since the latest earnings results.
PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP)
With a history that goes back more than a century, PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) is a household name in food and beverages today and best known for its flagship soda.
PepsiCo reported revenues of $27.78 billion, flat year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a mixed quarter for the company with a narrow beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a miss of analysts’ gross margin estimates.
The market was likely pricing in the results, and the stock is flat since reporting. It currently trades at $151.01.
Read our full report on PepsiCo here, it’s free.
Best Q4: Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:BUD)
Born out of a complicated web of mergers and acquisitions, Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE:BUD) boasts a powerhouse beer portfolio of Budweiser, Stella Artois, Corona, and local favorites around the world.
Anheuser-Busch reported revenues of $14.84 billion, up 2.5% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 5.5%. The business had a stunning quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.
The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 15.5% since reporting. It currently trades at $63.24.
Is now the time to buy Anheuser-Busch? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.