We recently published a list of 10 Best Alcohol Stocks to Buy According to Billionaires. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) stands against other best alcohol stocks to buy according to billionaires.
The alcohol industry has found itself on the frontlines of a global trade war, sparked by President Donald Trump imposing increased tariffs on America’s neighbors and friends across the pond. The European Union responded to Trump’s 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports by announcing countermeasures on up to $28 billion worth of American goods, including a 50% tariff on American alcohol. The move could be devastating for the US spirits industry, as over the last two years, American whiskey exports to the EU have surged by more than 60%. Around 40% of US spirits are exported to the European Union, totaling $883 million in 2023, making it America’s largest export market.
Chris Swonger, CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, stated:
“The reimposition of these tariffs at a 50% rate would gut this growth and do irreparable harm to distillers large and small. It would be a catastrophic blow that will force many distillers out of our largest export market.”
READ ALSO: 10 Best Alcohol Stocks To Buy According to Analysts
In return, President Trump took it up a notch and threatened to slap a 200% tariff on wine, cognac, and other alcohol imports from Europe, causing panic also on the other side of the Atlantic. The United States imported wine worth around $5 billion from the EU last year and accounts for 31% of the overall wine and spirits exports from the bloc. A 200% tariff would push these European offerings outside the reach of most Americans, who would then prefer their local alternatives.
The tariffs on Mexico and Canada are set to have a significant impact as well. Sales of tequila and mezcal in the US rose 2.9% to total $6.7 billion last year and these numbers are expected to take a hit if the current 25% tariffs remain in place. Moreover, the extreme popularity of Mexican beers in the US could also be threatened as their prices are pushed higher compared to the local brews. In the province of Ontario in Canada, liquor stores have gone even as far as to remove American whiskey and wine from their shelves and replace them with domestic offerings.
And if that wasn’t enough, it seems like America’s much-celebrated Bourbon boom is finally over as the US whiskey industry shows signs of slowdown. According to industry tracker IWSR, sales volumes of American whiskey dropped 1.2% in 2023, marking the first decline since 2002. The downward trend continued last year and domestic sales of American whiskeys fell 1.8% in 2024 to total $5.2 billion, according to DISCUS. The sharp surge in demand that the sector witnessed during the pandemic is softening down as consumers cut back, plowing through bottles they accumulated in recent years and trading down to cheaper options.
Despite the current difficulties, some billionaire investors remain bullish on the American alcohol sector. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway invested over $1.2 billion in an American alcohol giant in Q4 2024, signaling the Oracle of Omaha’s confidence in the alcoholic beverage market’s long-term prospects. The continued tilt towards premiumization, the rising popularity of low- and no-alcohol options, and the ballooning Ready-to-Drink segment represent only some of many opportunities that the industry can capitalize on, if it manages to muscle through the heating political landscape.
Methodology
To collect data for this article, we scanned Insider Monkey’s database of billionaires’ stock holdings and picked the top 10 companies operating in the alcohol sector with the highest number of billionaire investors in Q4 of 2024. When two or more companies had the same number of billionaire investors, we ranked them by the revenue of their last financial year.
At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with 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 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
A retail point showcasing the alcoholic and soft beverages of the company.
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD)
Number of Billionaire Holders: 10
With a staggering 26.9% share of the entire global beer production in 2023, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) is the Largest Beer Company in the World. AB InBev offers a portfolio of approximately 500 beer brands, which primarily include Budweiser, Corona, Stella Artois, and many more.
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) reported strong results in Q4 2024 with an adjusted EPS of $0.88, beating market expectations by $0.25. The company’s revenue also came in at $14.84 billion, up 2.54% YoY and above analysts’ estimates by over $774 million. Moreover, BUD witnessed net sales growth in 75% of its markets, pushing its full-year 2024 revenue to $59.8 billion, an all-time high for the brewing giant. Ab InBev boasts a robust balance sheet and increased its free cash flow by $2.5 billion to reach $11.3 billion in 2024. The company’s board has approved a full-year dividend of EUR 1 per share, a 22% increase versus last year with the ambition to continue a progressive dividend over time.
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) is following an aggressive premiumization strategy and is now a global leader in the premium beer segment. Its mega brands have increased revenue by nearly 40% since 2021 and now represent 57% of the company’s total business. The brewing behemoth expects the premium beer segment to grow volumes across all geographic clusters and at more than double the rate of the category overall.
Overall, BUD ranks 6th on our list of best alcohol stocks to buy according to billionaires. While we acknowledge the potential for BUD 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 BUD but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
