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Anheuser-Busch 3rd quarter better, but nobody's partying yet

Tom Barlow — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Earnings Reports, Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD)

Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD)'s third quarter earnings of 95 cents a share beat analyst expectations of 92.5 cents, with U.S. sales by volume up 2% over 2006, same quarter. International sales grew a hefty 8.2%, and equity partner brands Grupo Modelo and Tsingtao, were also up 7.6%. Overall, the company poured 45 million gallons in the period.

Net sales reached $4.6 billion, up 7.6% over 2006. The jump is attributed to both increased volume (2%) and better pricing (3.1%).

BUD has overcome a slow first quarter to show a year/year increase in earnings of 5.7% for the first three quarters, with diluted EPS also up 9.2% to $2.49. It also held its share of the U.S. beer market, estimated at 48.8% vs. 48.7% a year ago.

The company announced shareholders will receive a 33 cent dividend.

Not all is frothy, though, according to analysts surveyed by Reuters. They point to an ongoing weakness in core brands Budweiser and Bud Light that was somewhat obscured by the strong performance of equity partner brands.

BUD also announced forthcoming price hikes for its beers in the fourth quarter of this year and early 2008. Combined with the threat posed by the recent partnering of Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP) and SABMiller (OTC: SBMRY) in the U.S. market, these earnings, while pleasing, will leave many investors still skeptical.

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Anheuser-Busch 3rd quarter better, but nobody's partying yet originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anheuser-Busch earnings surprisingly strong

Tom Barlow — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:20:00 EST

Filed under: International Markets, Earnings Reports, China, Brazil, Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD), Mexico, Canada

After warning in May that it would fall short of expectations in the second quarter, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. (NYSE: BUD) surprised the analysts by posting a strong performance [pdf]. It reported a net sales increase of 6.1% and an increase in diluted earnings per share of 7.4%. The EPS of $0.88 exceeded the $0.87 projection of analysts polled by Thompson Financial.

Unlike first quarter results, this quarter showed strong sales in the U.S. as well as internationally. U.S. beer sales volume was up 2.3%, due in part to the success of import brands that the company distributes. This and price increases resulted in a 3.1% increase in revenue.

International sales continued to grow, up 4% due primarily to China, Canada and Mexico, partly offset by soft sales in Great Britain. Anheuser-Busch branded products grew 2.2% in volume worldwide.

The performance of Anheuser-Busch's entertainment sector, e.g. Busch Gardens, was up over $5 million as well, due to increased attendance and pricing.

The bottom line was moderated by increasing production and marketing costs, the latter a sign that the beer market continues to mature.

Anheuser-Busch's stock has been complicated by speculation by Citigroup that the company will eventually merge with InBev within the next two years.

Anheuser-Busch earnings surprisingly strong originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anheuser-Busch misses earnings estimate

Tom Barlow — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 09:56:00 EST

Filed under: Earnings Reports, Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD)

Yesterday Anheuser-Busch Cos. (NYSE:BUD) reported a first quarter EPS of $.67, short of the $.69 analysts had expected, and the market reacted with a share price drop of $1.45 to close at $50.90.

The company reported sales of 37.6 million barrels of suds for the quarter, up 2.2% over 2006, but only 0.5% of that growth was in the U.S. International sales were up 8.7%, accounting for the lion's share of growth. The company credits this to strong sales in Canada and China. Also, equity partners Grupo Modelo and Tsingtao did well for the quarter, boosting this class by 4.1% on modest volumes.

More troubling was the report that the company's market share dropped from 50.9% in 2006 to 50.2%. A price increase imposed in this quarter helped the company reach a consolidated net sales increase of 2.7%. For the quarter, the company reported net income of $518 million, up from $499 million a year ago.

Continue reading Anheuser-Busch misses earnings estimate

Anheuser-Busch misses earnings estimate originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 26 Apr 2007 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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