Retail sales rebounded significantly in October as the economy remained stable and consumers overcame worries about a port strike and other challenges that had dampened sales in September, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay noted that consumer spending picked up again in October, supported by job growth and increased wages throughout the year. He observed that inflation remained largely confined to services, with prices for some retail goods even declining. Shay indicated that October’s sales performance had laid a solid foundation for the holiday shopping season to begin on a positive note. When we examine specific sectors, we see that grocery and beverage stores experienced a 0.87% increase on a seasonally adjusted month-over-month basis and a 3.76% rise year-over-year without seasonal adjustments.
The food and beverage industry faced significant challenges during the pandemic. While in-home consumption surged, out-of-home dining virtually ceased, leading to a substantial decline in business and severely impacting the sector. Since then, the industry has undergone numerous transformations and is now in a recovery phase. According to a Market Research report, the global food and beverages market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9% between 2022 and 2027. The market's growth is being driven by shifting consumer habits, out-of-town retail parks, and retail stores.
Coffee remains the most popular beverage among Americans. In 2023, spending on out-of-home cold coffee, such as iced coffee, cold brew, and frozen coffee drinks, reached $17.7 billion—more than double the $8.5 billion spent in 2016, according to the food service research firm Technomic. Additionally, the National Coffee Association (NCA) reported that coffee consumption outside the home has returned to pre-pandemic levels as people resume visiting coffee shops and workplaces. Over a third of consumers who drank coffee on a given day did so away from home, marking the highest rate since January 2020, as highlighted in the NCA's National Coffee Data Trends report.
Consumer behavior plays a critical role in shaping any industry, and the beverage sector is no exception. This industry is adapting to evolving preferences, with more Americans seeking alternatives to alcohol. Beverage companies emphasizing the health benefits of their products are striving to tap into this trend. According to data insights firm NCSolutions, over 40% of Americans aim to reduce their alcohol consumption in 2024, an increase from 34% the previous year. Among Generation Z, this figure rises to 61%, compared to 40% in 2023 who expressed similar intentions.
Technology stocks have been the standout performers this year, with gains of nearly 29%. While food and beverage stocks haven't seen exceptional growth, the Food & Beverage index, which represents companies across various sub-industries in the sector, has still delivered a modest year-to-date return of 7.5%. Over the past 12 months, the index has risen by approximately 14%.
A close-up of spices, herbs and seasoning mixes in a colorful array, highlighting the company's range of products.
Our Methodology
To select the best beverage stocks, we scanned Insider Monkey's database of 900 hedge funds as of Q3 2024 and picked companies that are primarily involved in the production and distribution of a wide variety of liquid refreshments, including soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, coffee, tea, bottled water, energy drinks, fruit juices, sports and nutritional drinks, and dairy-based beverages. From that list, we selected 10 companies that pay dividends to shareholders and ranked them in ascending order of the number of hedge funds having stakes in them as of Q3 2024.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).
McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) is a Maryland-based food company that deals in flavoring products used in a wide variety of beverages. The company achieved a significant milestone this quarter by delivering positive total global volume growth, driven by improved trends across its segments, with expectations for this momentum to carry into the fourth quarter. The Consumer segment reported solid volume growth despite facing a more challenging macroeconomic environment in China. Meanwhile, the Flavor Solutions segment showed sequential volume improvement, highlighted by robust growth in Branded Foodservice. The stock has surged by over 11.5% since the start of 2024, coming through as one of the best beverage stocks.
In the third quarter of 2024, McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) reported revenue of $1.7 billion, which fell slightly by 0.3% from the same period last year. The revenue surpassed analysts' estimates by $13.07 million. Its operating income for the quarter came in at $287 million, growing from $245 million in the prior-year period. The company's cash position also remained strong as it generated over $463 million through Q3, compared with $660 million a year ago.
On November 20, McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) announced a 7% hike in its quarterly dividend to $0.45 per share. Through this increase, the company achieved its 39th consecutive annual dividend hike. The stock offers a dividend yield of 2.32%, as of November 24. Ave Maria mentioned MKC in its Q1 2024 investor letter. Hereis what the firm has to say:
“McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) manufactures and distributes spices and other flavor products to the food industry. This seemingly mundane business achieves extraordinary returns on capital as the spices and seasoning category tends toward a single dominant supplier which can simplify the complex inventory requirements of its customers. Over the coming years, McCormick should benefit from increasing demand for diverse cuisines, the trend towards cooking from scratch, and the younger consumers’ preference for heat via its Cholula hot sauce products.”
The number of hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owning stakes in McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) grew to 36 in Q3 2024, from 29 in the previous quarter. The consolidated value of these stakes is over $1.07 billion.
Overall, MKC ranks 7th on our list of best beverage dividend stocks to buy according to hedge funds. While we acknowledge the potential for MKC to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MKC but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
