National Beverage Corp. vs Boston Beer Company Inc — how do they compare? National Beverage Corp. trades at $30.9 (market cap $2.91B), while Boston Beer Company Inc trades at $179.73 (market cap $1.86B). The key difference: National Beverage Corp. is the larger of the two by market cap, and Boston Beer Company Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, National Beverage Corp. nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| FIZZ | SAM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $2.91B | $1.86B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $46.75 | $260.05 |
52-Week Low | $30.53 | $161.08 |
Enterprise Value | $2.62B | $1.63B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
FIZZ trades at $32.13, up 0.53% today, with neutral technical signals and mixed earnings performance. The company reported $1.20B revenue and $186.82M net income for 2025, maintaining strong profitability margins. Recent news highlights a special $3.25 dividend announcement amid concerns about LaCroix brand stagnation and competitive pressures.
The stock faces headwinds from declining volumes and muted growth prospects, offset by shareholder returns via dividends. Analyst sentiment is cautious with 50% sell ratings. Key risks include consumer weakness and tariff impacts, while valuation at 15.84x P/E appears reasonable given current fundamentals.
The Boston Beer Company (SAM) trades at $186.61, up 1.94% on the day, with a bullish technical signal driven by moving averages. The stock shows mixed fundamentals; while the P/E ratio of 22.66 and P/S of 0.99 suggest reasonable valuation, recent quarterly earnings have missed expectations, and the company faces volume declines in core brands. Positive cash flow and innovation in ready-to-drink products provide some offset. Analyst sentiment is cautious, with a consensus price target of $207.33 but a majority hold rating.
Outlook: Upside exists if new product growth accelerates and margins improve, but risks from weak demand and competitive pressure persist. The stock's trajectory hinges on reversing volume trends and achieving future earnings targets, making it a hold for now with watchful optimism.
Trailing returns across standard periods
National Beverage Corp is one of the top 10 non-alcoholic beverage companies in the U.S. Its portfolio skews toward functional drinks (that is those purporting to offer health benefits) and is anchored by the popular LaCroix sparkling water trademark. Other offerings include Rip It energy drinks, Everfresh juices, and soda brands like Shasta and Faygo. The firm controls most of its production and distribution apparatus, with very little outsourcing. In terms of go-to-market, it uses warehouse distribution for big-box retailers, direct-store-delivery for convenience stores and other small outlets, and food-service distributors for the food-service channel (schools, hospitals, restaurants). It is controlled by chairman and CEO Nick Caporella, who owns over 73% of the common stock.
Read more on FIZZ →Boston Beer is a leader in U.S. high-end malt beverages and adjacent categories, with strong positions in craft beer, hard cider, and hard seltzer. The firm sells an array of flavor variants and package sizes, predominantly centered around four priority brands: Samuel Adams, Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea, and Truly Hard Seltzer. Its drinks are produced in both company-owned breweries as well as through third-party contract arrangements, and while the company primarily goes to market through independent wholesalers (as mandated by law), it operates a fairly large salesforce to induce demand across the value chain (distributors, retailers, and drinkers). The preponderance of revenue is generated domestically.
Read more on SAM →