Anheuser-Busch InBev Crushes Estimates

Seth Jayson, The Motley Fool
Updated

Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYS: BUD) reported earnings on March 8. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended Dec. 31 (Q4), Anheuser-Busch InBev met expectations on revenue and crushed expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue grew and GAAP earnings per share expanded significantly.

Margins expanded across the board.

Revenue details
Anheuser-Busch InBev reported revenue of $9.87 billion. The 10 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ expected to see revenue of $9.80 billion on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 4.2% higher than the prior-year quarter's $9.47 billion.

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Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
Non-GAAP EPS came in at $1.23. The four earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ predicted $0.92 per share on the same basis. GAAP EPS of $1.11 for Q4 were 82% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.61 per share.

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Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 59.3%, 360 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 35.9%, 560 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 18.7%, 850 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $9.35 billion.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $40.51 billion. The average EPS estimate is $4.23.

Investor sentiment
Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Anheuser-Busch InBev is outperform, with an average price target of $63.26.

At the time thisarticle was published Seth Jayson had no position in any company mentioned here at the time of publication. You can view his stock holdings here. He is co-advisor ofMotley Fool Hidden Gems, which provides new small-cap ideas every month, backed by a real-money portfolio. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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