Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM) Shares Gap Down - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Boston Beer shares fell sharply at the open, dropping from a $190.82 close to $182.25 before last trading near $183.
• Analyst sentiment is mostly cautious: the stock has a consensus “Reduce” rating, with eight Holds, three Sells and one Buy, and a consensus price target of $206.91.
• Recent results were mixed, with quarterly revenue slightly exceeding estimates but earnings per share missing expectations by $1.18; revenue declined 3.3% year over year and the company posted a negative net margin.

The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE:SAM - Get Free Report) gapped down before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $190.82, but opened at $182.25. Boston Beer shares last traded at $183.00, with a volume of 19,182 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SAM has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley set a $190.00 target price on Boston Beer and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Boston Beer in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on Boston Beer from $230.00 to $195.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $195.00 price objective on shares of Boston Beer in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Boston Beer from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Boston Beer currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $206.91.

Boston Beer Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.93 billion, a PE ratio of -27.32 and a beta of 0.80. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $180.62 and its 200-day moving average price is $205.54.

Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $3.65 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.83 by ($1.18). The business had revenue of $568.34 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $566.68 million. Boston Beer had a negative net margin of 3.42% and a positive return on equity of 9.99%. Boston Beer's revenue for the quarter was down 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.45 EPS. Boston Beer has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.500-10.500 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Boston Beer Company, Inc. will post 8.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

About Boston Beer

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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