Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM) Rating Increased to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Boston Beer from sell to hold, but the broader analyst view remains cautious with an average rating of Reduce and a consensus price target of $207.27.
• Boston Beer reported Q2 EPS of $3.65, well below expectations of $4.83, while revenue of $568.34 million slightly beat estimates but still fell 3.3% year over year.
• The company also cut FY2026 guidance to 8.5–10.5 EPS, below analyst forecasts, reinforcing concerns about weaker demand and margin pressure despite some support from institutional buying.

Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report released on Saturday.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on Boston Beer from $192.00 to $169.00 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Evercore set a $240.00 price target on Boston Beer in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on Boston Beer from $234.00 to $210.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $176.00 price objective on Boston Beer in a research report on Friday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $195.00 price objective on Boston Beer in a report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $207.27.

Boston Beer Trading Up 3.2%

Shares of SAM stock opened at $180.07 on Friday. Boston Beer has a 1 year low of $158.68 and a 1 year high of $264.46. The firm's 50 day moving average is $177.61 and its 200-day moving average is $209.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -26.52, a PEG ratio of 3.28 and a beta of 0.78.

Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $3.65 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.83 by ($1.18). Boston Beer had a negative net margin of 3.42% and a positive return on equity of 9.69%. The company had revenue of $568.34 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $566.68 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $5.45 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. Boston Beer has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.500-10.500 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Boston Beer will post 9.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in SAM. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Boston Beer by 55.4% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 62,051 shares of the company's stock worth $14,820,000 after purchasing an additional 22,129 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Boston Beer by 8.8% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,207 shares of the company's stock valued at $288,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its stake in Boston Beer by 5.1% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 21,902 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,231,000 after buying an additional 1,067 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its stake in Boston Beer by 17.9% in the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 1,653 shares of the company's stock valued at $315,000 after buying an additional 251 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Boston Beer by 41.5% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 15,657 shares of the company's stock worth $2,988,000 after buying an additional 4,591 shares during the last quarter. 81.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Boston Beer News

Here are the key news stories impacting Boston Beer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Boston Beer’s revenue came in slightly ahead of some expectations and operating cash flow improved year over year, showing the business is still generating cash even as results soften.
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts still see upside from current levels, with recent targets from Citigroup and RBC above the stock’s price, suggesting the long-term outlook is not being fully abandoned.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management highlighted product mix shifts, including strength in SunCruiser, which may help offset pressure from weaker Twisted Tea trends.
• Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter EPS of $3.65 missed estimates by a wide margin, signaling that profitability fell short of Wall Street’s expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue declined 3.3% year over year and shipment volume fell 4.5%, pointing to weaker demand.
• Negative Sentiment: Marketing costs rose 16.4%, adding margin pressure and contributing to the earnings miss.
• Negative Sentiment: Boston Beer also lowered its FY2026 guidance to 8.5–10.5 EPS, below the consensus estimate, which can weigh on sentiment around the stock.

Boston Beer Company Profile

The Boston Beer Company, Inc NYSE: SAM is a leading craft brewer headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Since its founding in 1984 by Jim Koch, the company has focused on producing high-quality, distinctive beers and beverages for retail, on-premise, and distribution partners across the United States. Its operations include brewing, packaging, marketing and distribution, supported by a network of wholly owned brewing facilities and strategic partnerships with regional breweries.

Boston Beer's flagship brand, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, helped establish the modern U.S.

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