Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM) Downgraded to “Strong Sell” Rating by Zacks Research

Zacks Research cut shares of Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

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

Boston Beer Price Performance

NYSE SAM opened at $218.32 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $217.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $213.91. Boston Beer has a 52-week low of $185.34 and a 52-week high of $260.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.03.

Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported ($2.12) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($2.33) by $0.21. Boston Beer had a net margin of 5.20% and a return on equity of 11.96%. The business had revenue of $385.68 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $381.75 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($1.68) earnings per share. The firm’s revenue 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 expect that Boston Beer will post 9.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Boston Beer

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in SAM. Calamos Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Boston Beer by 12.1% during the third quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC now owns 65,364 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,819,000 after buying an additional 7,035 shares in the last quarter. Savoir Faire Capital Management L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Boston Beer by 28.4% in the 3rd quarter. Savoir Faire Capital Management L.P. now owns 38,825 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,208,000 after acquiring an additional 8,585 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Boston Beer during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $12,795,000. Savant Capital LLC bought a new stake in Boston Beer during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,030,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in Boston Beer by 835.1% during the 3rd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 5,667 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,198,000 after purchasing an additional 5,061 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.13% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Boston Beer

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat on EPS and showed margin improvement: SAM reported a $2.12 loss per share versus a larger expected loss, net revenue of $385.7M (down 4.1%), gross margin widened ~360 bps and the loss was narrower than feared. This reduces near-term downside risk from the print. GlobeNewswire: Boston Beer Reports Fourth Quarter Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target to $230 (neutral rating), signaling some analyst confidence in the stock’s upside from current levels. Benzinga: Citigroup raises price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target from $245 to $235 but kept an equal-weight rating — a modest adjustment rather than a directional shift in view. Benzinga: Morgan Stanley updates target
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector valuation piece compares SAM vs. BUD for value investors — useful context but not immediately market-moving. Zacks: BUD vs. SAM valuation piece
• Negative Sentiment: FY2026 EPS guidance of $8.50–$11 was issued and sits below the consensus (~$10.96), creating concern that upside is limited and that margin/tariff headwinds could pressure results. Seeking Alpha: Boston Beer outlines 2026 EPS target
• Negative Sentiment: Management warned that depletions could fall again in 2026 (volumes are a core driver of revenue/margin recovery), which raises execution risk for the turnaround story. Yahoo Finance: Boston Beer warns depletions could fall again in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded SAM from “hold” to “strong sell,” a bearish analyst move that likely accelerated selling pressure after the print. TickerReport/Zacks downgrade note

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.