Boston Beer Reports First Quarter Financial Results

/EIN News/ -- BOSTON, April 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE: SAM), today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 29, 2025. Key results were:

First Quarter 2025 Summary:

• Depletions decreased 1% and shipments increased 5.3%
• Net revenue of $453.9 million increased 6.5%
• Gross margin of 48.3% up 460 basis points year over year
• Net income of $24.4 million, an increase of $11.8 million or 93.8% year over year
• Diluted income per share of $2.16, an increase of 108% year over year
  

Capital Structure

• Ended the first quarter with $152.5 million in cash and no debt
• Repurchased $61 million in shares from December 30, 2024 to April 18, 2025

“Our business remained resilient despite subdued category trends,” said Chairman and Founder Jim Koch. “While the external environment remains dynamic, we have a diversified portfolio of iconic brands, strong innovation pipeline and the best sales force in beer. Our strong balance sheet fuels our 2025 incremental brand investments and enables us to return cash to shareholders with $61 million repurchased year to date.”

“Our first quarter performance reflects a solid start to the year as we increased our market share and significantly expanded gross margin,” said President and CEO Michael Spillane. “As the macroeconomic climate continues to be challenging, we remain focused on executing our strong operating plans for the summer season, across our core brands and our recently introduced innovations, supported in both cases by targeted advertising investment.”

Details of the results were as follows:

First Quarter 2025 (13 weeks ended March 29, 2025) Summary of Results

Depletions for the first quarter decreased 1% compared to the first quarter of the prior year. Shipment volume for the quarter was approximately 1.7 million barrels, a 5.3% increase compared to the first quarter of the prior year, primarily due to increases in Sun Cruiser, Hard Mountain Dew and Twisted Tea brands partially offset by declines in the Truly brand.

The Company believes distributor inventory as of March 29, 2025 was at an appropriate level for each of its brands and averaged approximately five weeks on hand compared to four weeks on hand at the end of the fourth quarter of 2024 and four and a half weeks at the end of the first quarter of 2024.

Revenue for the quarter increased 6.5% due to volume increases and pricing.

Gross margin of 48.3% increased from the 43.7% margin realized in the first quarter of 2024, or an increase of 460 basis points year over year. Gross margin primarily benefited from price increases, procurement savings, and lower brewery processing costs per barrel due to higher volumes and improved brewery efficiencies partially offset by inflationary costs.

The first quarter gross margin of 48.3% includes $0.8 million of shortfall fees which negatively impacted gross margin by approximately 17 basis points on an absolute basis and non-cash expense of third-party production pre-payments of $2.6 million that negatively impacted gross margins by approximately 57 basis points on an absolute basis.

Advertising, promotional and selling expenses for the first quarter of 2025 increased $17.3 million or 14.3% from the first quarter of 2024, primarily due to increased investments in media and local marketing.

General and administrative expenses decreased by $2.4 million or 4.8% from the first quarter of 2024, primarily due to Chief Executive Officer transition costs incurred in the first quarter of 2024.

The Company’s effective tax rate for the first quarter was 31.9% compared to 33.0% in the prior year. The lower rate in the first quarter of 2025 was due to a decrease in the negative impact of non-deductible stock compensation expense.

The Company expects that its March 29, 2025 cash balance of $152.5 million, together with its projected future operating cash flows and the unused balance on its $150.0 million line of credit, will be sufficient to fund future cash requirements.

During the 13-week period ended March 29, 2025 and the period from March 31, 2025 through April 18, 2025, the Company repurchased shares of its Class A Common Stock in the amounts of $49.2 million and $11.3 million, respectively, for a total of $60.5 million year to date. As of April 18, 2025, the Company had approximately $367 million remaining on the $1.6 billion share buyback expenditure limit set by the Board of Directors.

Depletions Estimate

Year-to-date depletions through the 16-week period ended April 18, 2025 are estimated by the Company to have decreased approximately 1% from the comparable period in 2024.

Full-Year 2025 Projections

Exclusive of the estimated impact of tariffs, the Company is reiterating its full year financial guidance communicated in its February 25, 2025 Earnings Release. The Company’s projections in the table below do not include any impact from tariffs. Based on the information currently available and tariff programs announced to date, the Company estimates tariffs will have an unfavorable cost impact for the full year 2025 of approximately $20 to $30 million or $1.25 to $1.90 earnings per diluted share. These estimates include an unfavorable gross margin impact of between 50 to 100 basis points.

The Company’s actual 2025 results could vary significantly from the current projection and are highly sensitive to changes in volume projections, supply chain performance, inflationary impacts and the impact of tariffs.

Full Year 2025	Current Guidance
Depletions and Shipments Percentage Change	Down low single digit to up low single digit
Price Increases	1% to 2%
Gross Margin	45% to 47%
Advertising, Promotion, and Selling Expense Year Over Year Change ($ million)	$30 to $50
Effective Tax Rate	29% to 30%
GAAP EPS	$8.00 to $10.50
Capital Spending ($ million)	$90 to $110

Underlying the Company's current 2025 projections are the following full-year estimates and targets:

• The Company’s business is seasonal, with the first quarter and fourth quarter being lower volume quarters and the fourth quarter typically the lowest absolute gross margin rate of the year.
• The Company currently estimates that shipment trends will be above depletion trends in the second quarter, with second quarter year over year shipment growth lower than the first quarter.
• The Company expects that the trend of shipments exceeding depletions will reverse in the second half of the year, primarily in the third quarter.
• During full year 2025, the Company continues to estimate that shortfall fees will negatively impact gross margin by 60 to 80 basis points and non-cash expense of third-party production pre-payments will negatively impact gross margins by 40 to 60 basis points.
• The advertising, selling and promotional expense projection does not include any changes in freight costs for the shipment of products to the Company’s distributors.
• The dollar increases in advertising, selling and promotional expense are expected to occur primarily in the first half of the year.
• The benefit of lapping CEO transition costs incurred in 2024 is currently expected to be offset by an increase in estimated incentive compensation at target for 2025 compared to 2024 achievement.
  

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this press release that state the Company’s or management’s intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions of the future are forward-looking statements. It is important to note that the Company’s actual results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is contained from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, the Company’s report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 28, 2024 and subsequent reports filed by the Company with the SEC on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. Copies of these documents are available from the SEC and may be found on the Company’s website, www.bostonbeer.com. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

About the Company

The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE: SAM) began in 1984 brewing Samuel Adams beer and has since grown to become one of the largest and most respected craft brewers in the United States. We consistently offer the highest-quality products to our drinkers, and we apply what we’ve learned from making great-tasting craft beer to making great-tasting and innovative “beyond beer” products. Boston Beer Company has pioneered not only craft beer but also hard cider, hard seltzer and hard tea. Our core brands include household names like Angry Orchard Hard Cider, Dogfish Head, Sun Cruiser, Truly Hard Seltzer, Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea, and Samuel Adams. We have taprooms and hospitality locations in California, Delaware, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio. For more information, please visit our website at www.bostonbeer.com, which includes links to our respective brand websites.

THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(in thousands, except per share data)
		(unaudited)
		Thirteen weeks ended
		March 29, 2025				March 30, 2024
Revenue		$	481,357			$	452,208
Less excise taxes			27,490				26,156
Net revenue			453,867				426,052
Cost of goods sold			234,604				239,704
Gross profit			219,263				186,348
Operating expenses:
Advertising, promotional, and selling expenses			137,535				120,275
General and administrative expenses			47,952				50,384
Impairment of brewery assets			—				335
Total operating expenses			185,487				170,994
Operating income			33,776				15,354
Other income, net:
Interest income, net			2,331				3,493
Other expense, net			(264	)			(38	)
Total other income, net			2,067				3,455
Income before income tax provision			35,843				18,809
Income tax provision			11,431				6,212
Net income		$	24,412			$	12,597
Net income per common share – basic		$	2.16			$	1.05
Net income per common share – diluted		$	2.16			$	1.04
Weighted-average number of common shares – basic			11,277				12,054
Weighted-average number of common shares – diluted			11,259				12,055
Net income		$	24,412			$	12,597
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustment			149				(162	)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)			149				(162	)
Comprehensive income		$	24,561			$	12,435

THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except share data)
		(unaudited)
		March 29, 2025				December 28, 2024
Assets
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$	152,454			$	211,819
Accounts receivable			87,705				61,423
Inventories			145,256				117,159
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			28,834				20,209
Income tax receivable			99				6,681
Total current assets			414,348				417,291
Property, plant, and equipment, net			603,581				616,242
Operating right-of-use assets			38,998				27,837
Goodwill			112,529				112,529
Intangible assets, net			16,023				16,446
Third-party production prepayments			11,898				14,473
Note receivable			16,753				16,738
Other assets			26,094				28,462
Total assets		$	1,240,224			$	1,250,018
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable		$	110,088			$	87,276
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities			118,989				138,618
Current operating lease liabilities			12,120				5,735
Total current liabilities			241,197				231,629
Deferred income taxes, net			63,216				65,803
Non-current operating lease liabilities			34,730				30,205
Other liabilities			4,071				6,194
Total liabilities			343,214				333,831
Commitments and Contingencies
Stockholders' Equity:
Class A Common Stock, $0.01 par value; 22,700,000 shares authorized; 9,093,500 and 9,263,198 issued and outstanding as of March 29, 2025 and December 28, 2024 respectively			91				93
Class B Common Stock, $0.01 par value; 4,200,000 shares authorized; 2,068,000 issued and outstanding at March 29, 2025 and December 28, 2024			21				21
Additional paid-in capital			682,334				676,454
Accumulated other comprehensive loss			(547	)			(696	)
Retained earnings			215,111				240,315
Total stockholders' equity			897,010				916,187
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity		$	1,240,224			$	1,250,018

THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
		(unaudited)
		Thirteen weeks ended
		March 29, 2025				March 30, 2024
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities:
Net income		$	24,412			$	12,597
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization			22,814				23,404
Impairment of brewery assets			—				335
Gain on sale of property, plant, and equipment			(42	)			(23	)
Change in right-of-use assets			(11,161	)			1,915
Stock-based compensation expense			5,870				7,127
Deferred income taxes			(2,587	)			(11	)
Other non-cash expense			120				99
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			(26,402	)			(6,304	)
Inventories			(26,827	)			(29,342	)
Prepaid expenses, income tax receivable, and other current assets			(1,848	)			(5,503	)
Third-party production prepayments			2,575				2,919
Other assets			888				1,262
Accounts payable			23,004				11,352
Accrued expenses, income taxes payable and other liabilities			(19,788	)			(22,356	)
Operating lease liabilities			10,911				(2,355	)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities			1,939				(4,884	)
Cash flows used in investing activities:
Cash paid for note receivable			—				(20,000	)
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment			(9,921	)			(15,737	)
Proceeds from disposal of property, plant, and equipment			42				23
Net cash used in investing activities			(9,879	)			(35,714	)
Cash flows used in financing activities:
Repurchases and retirement of Class A common stock			(49,394	)			(49,967	)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options and sale of investment shares			446				479
Cash paid on finance leases			(420	)			(557	)
Payment of tax withholding on stock-based payment awards and investment shares			(2,057	)			(2,404	)
Net cash used in financing activities			(51,425	)			(52,449	)
Change in cash and cash equivalents			(59,365	)			(93,047	)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			211,819				298,491
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period		$	152,454			$	205,444
Copies of The Boston Beer Company's press releases, including quarterly financial results, are available at www.bostonbeer.com

Investor Relations Contact:			Media Contact:
Jennifer Larson			Dave DeCecco
(617) 368-5152			(914) 261-6572
jennifer.larson@bostonbeer.com			dave.dececco@bostonbeer.com