Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM) Lowered to Strong Sell Rating by Zacks Research

Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $245.00 price objective on shares of Boston Beer in a report on Friday, February 20th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Boston Beer from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on shares of Boston Beer from $230.00 to $220.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Boston Beer from $245.00 to $235.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Boston Beer from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $233.71.

Boston Beer Trading Down 4.0%

Boston Beer stock opened at $218.32 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $217.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $213.91. The stock has a market cap of $2.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.03. Boston Beer has a 12-month low of $185.34 and a 12-month high of $260.00.

Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported ($2.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($2.33) by $0.21. Boston Beer had a return on equity of 11.96% and a net margin of 5.20%.The company had revenue of $385.68 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $381.75 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned ($1.68) EPS. Boston Beer’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. Boston Beer has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.500-11.000 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Boston Beer will post 9.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Boston Beer

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of Boston Beer by 0.7% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 8,414 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,605,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the period. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS grew its position in Boston Beer by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 2,115 shares of the company’s stock valued at $404,000 after buying an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. increased its stake in Boston Beer by 5.3% in the 2nd quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 1,192 shares of the company’s stock valued at $227,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Boston Beer by 81.7% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 189 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE raised its position in Boston Beer by 28.2% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 386 shares of the company’s stock worth $82,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. 81.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Boston Beer

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results surprised on the upside on EPS and margins — SAM reported a narrower-than-feared loss and stronger gross margin (up ~360 bps), beating EPS and revenue estimates, which supports near-term earnings credibility. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Management outlined a FY-2026 EPS target of $8.50–$11 and flagged margin gains plus expansion of the Sun Cruiser platform — this highlights potential upside if volumes and mix recover. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target to $230 while keeping a Neutral rating — a modest endorsement but not a buy signal. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its target to $235 and kept an Equal Weight rating — mixed analyst tone that may limit upside momentum. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative analyst coverage (BUD vs SAM) keeps the stock in the spotlight for value-oriented investors but doesn’t change SAM’s immediate operating picture. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Demand weakness: depletions fell ~6% and shipments ~7.5% in Q4, with revenue down ~4.1% YoY — volume trends are the primary headwind to a durable recovery. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Management warned depletions could fall again in 2026 and cited tariff policy risks that could pressure margins and guidance — this increased uncertainty likely pressured the stock. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: FY-2026 EPS guidance ($8.50–$11) sits below some street expectations (consensus ~$10.96 midpoint), leaving investors focused on whether volume recovery and margin gains can meet the high end of the range. Read More.

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.