The Boston Beer Company, Inc. SAM has been taking initiatives to aid growth. SAM’s consistent focus on pricing, product innovation and growth of non-beer categories, alongside brand development, bodes well. Over the past three months, SAM’s shares have gained 12% against the industry’s 9.6% decline.

SAM’s Growth Efforts

Boston Beer is keen on innovating core flavors. The company expects to improve Truly brand trends through a renewed focus on core business, smart brand innovation and strong distributor support and retail execution. 

The company's Truly flavored bottle Vodka and Truly Vodka Seltzer have been performing well. Regarding revisiting the core flavors, it announced the reformulation and improvement of core Truly flavors, including the addition of real fruit juice for an even smoother, easy-to-drink and refreshing taste.

We note that Boston Beer is benefiting from strong price realization and procurement savings, which have more than offset increased inflationary costs. These factors have been aiding gross margins for a while. In addition, SAM commands a strong portfolio of globally recognized brands. 

Recently, the company launched Emerald Hour, which is a lineup of non-alcoholic Cali Sober cannabis cocktails. Emerald Hour mixes fresh-frozen cannabis extracts with regionally sourced cocktail ingredients to bring an incredible full-spectrum beverage experience. Each 355mL can is made without any chemical solvents, consisting of 10mg of THC. Hence, the latest launch is a suitable preference for consumers looking for an enjoyable, booze-free happy hour.

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The latest launch, Emerald Hour, is a rosin-infused beverage, which offers a great cannabis beverage experience and brings premium alternatives to alcohol. Apart from the Emerald Hour lineup, TeaPot cannabis-infused iced teas as well as iconic drinks like Truly Hard Seltzer, Samuel Adams and Twisted Tea have been popular.

Bumps in SAM’s Growth Path

Despite these strengths, Boston Beer has been witnessing weak depletions, along with continued challenges in the hard seltzer category for a while now. The hard seltzer category’s decelerating trend is mainly attributed to the loss of novelty among consumers due to the entry of several beyond-beer products in the marketplace. 

Additionally, the decline has resulted from the tough macroeconomic environment, which has caused a volume shift from hard seltzers back to premium light beers due to their lower pricing.

Final Words on Boston Beer

Nevertheless, Boston Beer is focused on the revival of its Samuel Adams and Angry Orchard brands, cost-saving initiatives and long-term innovation. This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company believes that there is an opportunity for Hard Mountain Dew within the expanded pack sizes and channels, with convenience stores.

Analysts seem quite optimistic about the company. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Boston Beer’s 2024 earnings per share (EPS) implies 39.1% growth year over year. For 2025, the consensus mark for sales and EPS indicates a 2.6% and 21% year-over-year increase, respectively.

Stocks to Consider

Freshpet, Inc. FRPT, a pet food company, has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 132.9%. FRPT currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Freshpet’s current financial-year sales and EPS indicates growth of 27.3% and 224.3%, respectively, from the prior-year levels.

Vital Farms VITL, which provides pasture-raised products, presently flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1. The consensus estimate for Vital Farms’ current financial-year sales and EPS indicates growth of 27.3% and 88.1%, respectively, from the prior-year levels.

VITL has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 48.5%.

McCormick & Company MKC, manufacturer and distributor of spices, seasonings, specialty foods and flavors, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). MKC has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 13.8%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MKC’s current financial-year sales and EPS indicates growth of 0.6% and 8.2%, respectively, from the year-ago figures.

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