Where’s the beer? St. Patrick’s Day stocks to watch

• Guinness’ parent company, London-based Diageo Corp., is listed on the New York and London Stock Exchanges
• Guinness was established in 1759 when Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease on St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin
• Molson Canadian, which was established in 1786 by the Molson family, is owned by Molson Coors that has its Canadian base in Montreal
• Molson Coors took an $845 million goodwill impairment charge in the fourth quarter of 2022 in part because of a softening beer market

St. Patrick’s Day is one of the luckiest holidays for bars and beverage distributors as millions toast each other on the third busiest drinking day of the year (behind Mardi Gras and New Year’s Eve).

Is the day just as green for stocks as for those celebrating? Follow along as we look at some popular beer stocks recorded at the Guinness Tower in Vancouver, just minutes away from the Lions Gate Bridge which was opened by the Guinness brewing family in 1938 to provide access to its British Properties lands in West Vancouver. Ownership of the bridge was transferred to the Province in 1955.

Diageo Corp. (Guinness, Kilkenny and Smithwick’s)

NYSE:DEO

Let’s get started with the No. 1 brand associated with the Irish holiday – Guinness. The brand was established in 1759 when Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease on St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland. It’s dubbed the world’s most popular stout with almost 9 million glasses of Guinness enjoyed every day. While you can’t invest directly into Guinness, its parent company, London-based Diageo Corp., is listed on the New York and London Stock Exchanges. 

And on a side note, following the drinking less trend, this will be the first St. Patrick’s Day in Canada with Guinness Zero that was released in the fall in Canada. Shares are up more than 14 per cent in 2023 (as of its fiscal year end in June).

Molson Coors (Molson Canadian, Coors Light, Miller High Life, George Killian’s Irish Red and more)

TSX:TPX.A; NYSE:TAP

Not into Irish cream stout? Well, longtime Canadian beer favourite Molson Canadian has been around more than 60 years. The traditional Canadian lager is owned by Molson Coors, which has its Canadian base in Montreal. Molson was established in 1786 by the Molson family. In 2005, Molson merged with the Adolph Coors Co. to become Molson Coors.

The company also took an $845 million goodwill impairment charge in the fourth quarter of 2022 in part because of a softening beer market. Molson Coors also reinstated its dividend payment after a temporary pause at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shares are trading at C$85.21, and the company has registered a 9 percent growth in revenue in 2023. 

Anheuser-Busch InBev (Corona, Budweiser, Kokanee, Labatt Blue and more)

NSYE:BUD

Anheuser-Busch InBev was formed in 2008 through the Belgian-based InBev’s acquisition of the U.S. company Anheuser-Busch. AB InBev controls several notable brands and serves consumers across the globe. Some of the beverage brands include Budweiser, Corona, Kokanee and Stella Artois as well as non-alcoholic beverages such as energy drinks. In 2023, The company’s revenue growth was 6.5 per cent. 

Constellation Brands (Corona and Modelo in the U.S.)

NYSE:STZ

Although Anheuser-Busch InBev holds the majority rights to Corona, Constellation Brands has had the license to sell Corona and Modelo beers in the United States since 2013. 

In 2023, Constellation Brands won its case to use the Corona brand name with its Corona Hard Seltzer because of the ruling that “seltzers” fall under the “malt beverage” category. 

Constellation Brands saw a 7 per cent growth in revenue in 2023. 

And just for fun … 

The largest spirits company in the world is LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton with revenue of $79.2 billion.

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