As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q3. Today, we are looking at beverages, alcohol, and tobacco stocks, starting with Zevia (NYSE: ZVIA).

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 rise of cannabis, craft beer, and vaping or the steady decline of soda and cigarettes. 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 16 beverages, alcohol, and tobacco stocks we track reported a strong Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.1% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady. On average, they are relatively unchanged since the latest earnings results.

Zevia (NYSE: ZVIA)

With a primary focus on soda but also a presence in energy drinks and teas, Zevia (NYSE: ZVIA) is a better-for-you beverage company.

Zevia reported revenues of $40.84 million, up 12.3% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 3.7%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with EBITDA guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations.

Zevia pulled off the highest full-year guidance raise of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 7.4% since reporting and currently trades at $2.54.

Is now the time to buy Zevia? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Best Q3: Celsius (NASDAQ: CELH)

With its proprietary MetaPlus formula as the basis for key products, Celsius (NASDAQ: CELH) offers energy drinks that feature natural ingredients to help in fitness and weight management.

Celsius reported revenues of $725.1 million, up 173% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1.2%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Celsius scored the fastest revenue growth among its peers. Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 32.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $40.84.

Is now the time to buy Celsius? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Weakest Q3: Altria (NYSE: MO)

Best known for its Marlboro brand of cigarettes, Altria (NYSE: MO) offers tobacco and nicotine products.

Altria reported revenues of $5.25 billion, down 1.7% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. It was a slower quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ gross margin estimates and a slight miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 4.5% since the results and currently trades at $59.20.

Read our full analysis of Altria’s results here.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP)

With a history that goes back more than a century, PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP) is a household name in food and beverages today and best known for its flagship soda.

PepsiCo reported revenues of $23.94 billion, up 2.7% year on year. This result was in line with analysts’ expectations. Aside from that, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged revenue in line with analysts’ estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.

The stock is up 8.1% since reporting and currently trades at $150.09.

Read our full, actionable report on PepsiCo here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Keurig Dr Pepper (NASDAQ: KDP)

Born out of a 2018 merger between Keurig Green Mountain and Dr Pepper Snapple, Keurig Dr Pepper (NASDAQ: KDP) is a consumer staples powerhouse boasting a portfolio of beverages including sodas, coffees, and juices.

Keurig Dr Pepper reported revenues of $4.31 billion, up 10.7% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 3.8%. Zooming out, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ gross margin estimates.

The stock is up 3.8% since reporting and currently trades at $28.20.

Read our full, actionable report on Keurig Dr Pepper here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump’s presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by potential trade policy changes and corporate tax discussions, which could impact business confidence and growth. The path forward holds both optimism and caution as new policies take shape.

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