Molson Coors Beverage (NYSE:TAP) gained over 7% intra-day today after reporting better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings, despite a slight revenue decline caused by lower shipment volumes and currency headwinds.
For Q4, the brewing giant posted adjusted earnings per share of $1.30, exceeding analyst estimates of $1.13. Revenue reached $2.74 billion, slightly above the $2.71 billion consensus forecast, though net sales declined 2% year-over-year. The dip was primarily attributed to a 6.4% drop in financial volumes, reflecting lower shipments across both segments and weaker contract brewing volumes in the Americas.
Despite these challenges, pricing and sales mix improvements helped offset some of the volume declines, supporting bottom-line growth. Looking ahead, Molson Coors projects low single-digit net sales growth for 2025 on a constant currency basis. The company expects mid single-digit growth in underlying income before income taxes and high single-digit expansion in underlying EPS, reflecting continued cost discipline and strategic execution.
However, management flagged macroeconomic uncertainty, citing potential geopolitical disruptions and evolving global trade policies as risks that are not factored into its current outlook. This includes possible U.S. import tariffs and retaliatory trade measures that could impact costs and international markets.