10 Best Liquor Stocks To Buy According to Short Sellers

2. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) 

Short % of Shares Outstanding: 0.22%

With a global production volume of 585 million hectoliters in 2023, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) is the Largest Beer Company in the World. Across nearly 50 countries, AB InBev has 175 major breweries and 40 other operations including hop farms and barley malting facilities.

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) came under fire in the American market last year after the controversy regarding its best-selling brand Bud Light, which resulted in the brand losing its crown as the Top-Selling Beer in America after nearly two decades. However, the beer behemoth’s sheer size and the breadth of its portfolio give it some protection from a single brand falling out of favor and so despite the setback of its most popular brand in the country, the company’s beer portfolio continued to gain volume share in the US in Q3 2024, driven by Michelob ULTRA and Busch Light, which were two of the top three volume share gainers in the industry. In fact, Michelob ULTRA is now the top-selling draft beer in America, and Bud Light, despite being under fire, maintains the second-largest share of US draft lines by a wide margin.

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) has now also signed a deal with Pabst Brewing Company, one of North America’s largest privately held brewing entities, to produce its Pabst Blue Ribbon beer products starting this financial quarter. For AB InBev, the strategic move brings a once rival into its supply chain.

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) continues to make strides in the non-alcoholic category after its Bud Zero and Corona Cero brands gained massive popularity through partnerships with mega sporting events like the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup 2022. The company gained market share of NA beer in over 60% of its key markets in the third quarter of 2024, with Corona Cero more than doubling both volumes and revenues. While the NA segment only makes up a small portion of its global volume, AB InBev continues to believe in the long-term potential of the segment and views it as a significant opportunity for incremental growth.

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) remains committed to returning value to its shareholders and recently announced a $2 billion share buyback program, up from the $1 billion share buyback it announced in 2023.