The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Monster (NASDAQ:MNST) and the rest of the beverages and alcohol stocks fared in Q4.

These companies' performance is influenced by brand strength, marketing strategies, and shifts in consumer preferences. Changing consumption patterns are particularly relevant and can be seen in the explosion of alcoholic craft beer drinks or the steady decline of non-alcoholic sugary sodas. Companies that spend on innovation to meet consumers where they are with regards to trends can reap huge demand benefits while those who ignore trends can see stagnant volumes. Finally, with the advent of the social media, the cost of starting a brand from scratch is much lower, meaning that new entrants can chip away at the market shares of established players.

The 14 beverages and alcohol stocks we track reported a weaker Q4; on average, revenues were in line with analyst consensus estimates. while next quarter's revenue guidance was 20.2% below consensus. Inflation progressed towards the Fed's 2% goal at the end of 2023, leading to strong stock market performance. The start of 2024 has been a bumpier ride, as the market switches between optimism and pessimism around rate cuts due to mixed inflation data, and while some of the beverages and alcohol stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they collectively declined, with share prices falling 4.4% on average since the previous earnings results.

Monster (NASDAQ:MNST)

Founded in 2002 as a natural soda and juice company, Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) is a pioneer of the energy drink category, and its Monster Energy brand targets a young, active demographic.

Monster reported revenues of $1.73 billion, up 14.4% year on year, falling short of analyst expectations by 1.5%. It was a slower quarter for the company, with a miss of analysts' revenue estimates.

Hilton H. Schlosberg, Vice Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, said, “We continue to see sound growth in the energy drink market globally. We are pleased to report another quarter of solid revenue growth, with record sales for our fourth quarter and 2023 financial year. The quarter and the 2023 financial year were again impacted by unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates.

The stock is down 2.9% since the results and currently trades at $54.23.

Is now the time to buy Monster? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free.

Best Q4: Vita Coco (NASDAQ:COCO)

Founded in 2004 followed by a 2021 IPO, The Vita Coco Company (NASDAQ:COCO) offers coconut water products that are a natural way to quench thirst.

Vita Coco reported revenues of $106.1 million, up 15.4% year on year, outperforming analyst expectations by 7%. It was a very strong quarter for the company, with an impressive beat of analysts' earnings and revenue estimates. On the other hand, its full-year revenue guidance was underwhelming. However, adjusted EBITDA guidance came in ahead, which is sure to blunt the impact of the below-Consensus revenue guidance.

Vita Coco achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat and highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The stock is up 9.7% since the results and currently trades at $24.61.

Is now the time to buy Vita Coco? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free.

Weakest Q4: Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM)

Known for its flavorful beverages challenging the status quo, Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM) is a pioneer in craft brewing and a symbol of American innovation in the alcoholic beverage industry.

Boston Beer reported revenues of $393.7 million, down 12% year on year, falling short of analyst expectations by 4.8%. It was a weak quarter for the company, with a miss of analysts' revenue estimates.

Boston Beer had the slowest revenue growth in the group. The stock is down 21.4% since the results and currently trades at $290.56.

Read our full analysis of Boston Beer's results here.

Brown-Forman (NYSE:BF.B)

Best known for its Jack Daniel’s whiskey, Brown-Forman (NYSE:BF.B) is an alcoholic beverage company with a broad portfolio of brands in wines and spirits.

Brown-Forman reported revenues of $1.07 billion, down 1.1% year on year, falling short of analyst expectations by 4.5%. It was a weak quarter for the company, with a miss of analysts' revenue estimates.

The stock is down 17.7% since the results and currently trades at $50.

Read our full, actionable report on Brown-Forman here, it's free.

Duckhorn (NYSE:NAPA)

With many of their grapes sourced from the famous Napa Valley region of California, The Duckhorn Portfolio (NYSE:NAPA) is a producer of premium wines and known for its Merlot and other Bordeaux varietals.

Duckhorn reported revenues of $103 million, down 0.4% year on year, falling short of analyst expectations by 2%. It was a weak quarter for the company, with full-year revenue guidance missing analysts' expectations and a miss of analysts' revenue estimates.

The stock is down 10.4% since the results and currently trades at $8.47.

Read our full, actionable report on Duckhorn here, it's free.

Join Paid Stock Investor Research

Help us make StockStory more helpful to investors like yourself. Join our paid user research session and receive a $50 Amazon gift card for your opinions. Sign up here.