BofA Says Sell Constellation Brands As Trump Win Poses Risk To Mexican Beers

Shares of Constellation Brands (STZ) are sliding after Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst Bryan Spillane downgraded the stock to Underperform, a sell-equivalent rating, saying a Trump victory brings uncertainty given his stance on trade and immigration.

FUTURE GROWTH UNCERTAINTY: In a research note this morning, Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Spillane downgraded Constellation Brands to Underperform from Buy given President-elect Donald Trump's stance on trade and immigration, namely his plans to build a physical wall on the southern border with Mexico, renegotiate trade agreements, and add tariffs/taxes, among others. The analyst noted that Constellation Brands' Mexican beer business represented 52.6% of net sales and 63.5% of profits in 2016. Further, all of the company's imported beers are made in Mexico and imported into the U.S., Spillane pointed out. The analyst told investors that a Trump victory creates uncertainty for Constellation's future growth, especially given his pledge to impose 35% tariffs on Mexican goods.

WHAT'S NOTABLE: On October 31, Constellation Brands announced that it will submit to the U.S. Department of Justice a proposal to acquire a brewery operation from Grupo Modelo, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD), for $600M. The brewery, located in Obregon, Mexico, is expected to have four million hectoliters of production capacity with minimal investment and optimization by Constellation after closing, the company noted.

PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading, shares of Constellation Brands have dropped about 8.5% to $152.48.

Disclosure: None.

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