Golden, Colorado-based Molson Coors Beverage Company (TAP) manufactures, markets, and sells beer and other malt beverage products under various brand names. With a market cap of $12.3 billion, Molson’s operations span the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Indo-Pacific.
The beverage maker is set to unveil its first-quarter results before the markets open on Thursday, May 8. Ahead of the event, analysts forecast TAP to report an adjusted EPS of $0.81, representing a 14.7% decline from $0.95 reported in the year-ago quarter. On a positive note, the company surpassed analysts’ bottom-line projections in each of the past four quarters by a notable margin.
For the full fiscal 2025, analysts expect TAP to report an adjusted EPS of $6.36, up 6.7% from $5.96 reported in fiscal 2024. While in fiscal 2026, its earnings are expected to grow by approximately 6% year-over-year to $6.74 per share.
TAP stock prices have dropped 8.1% over the past 52 weeks, significantly underperforming the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLP) 10.9% gains and the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) 6.6% returns during the same time frame.
However, Molson Coors’ stock prices soared 9.5% after the release of its better-than-expected Q4 results on Feb. 13. The company observed a notable 6.4% year-over-year drop in volumes along with currency headwinds, which was partially mitigated by a 4.5% improvement in pricing and sales mix. This led to a 2% year-over-year decline in net sales to $2.7 billion, however, this figure surpassed the Street’s expectations by approximately 1%.
Meanwhile, due to a favorable pricing mix, Molson’s gross margins expanded 91 bps compared to the year-ago quarter to 37.9%, and its gross profits inched up marginally to $1.04 billion. Moreover, the company’s adjusted EPS surged 9.2% year-over-year to $1.30, exceeding the consensus estimates by a notable 15%, which boosted investor confidence.
The consensus view on TAP stock is moderately optimistic, with a “Moderate Buy” rating overall. Of the 21 analysts covering the stock, opinions include six “Strong Buys,” one “Moderate Buy,” and 14 “Holds.” Its mean price target of $66.23 represents an 11.3% premium to current price levels.
