Core Insights - Berkshire Hathaway made significant adjustments to its bank stock holdings in the first quarter of 2025, while maintaining a stable position in Apple [1][2] - The company completely sold its 14.63 million shares of Citigroup and reduced its stake in Bank of America by over 7%, amounting to a reduction of 48.66 million shares [1] - Despite these reductions, Berkshire still holds over 631.5 million shares of Bank of America as of the end of the first quarter [1] - The company also fully divested its 40 million shares in fintech company NuHoldings and reduced its stake in First Capital Financial by approximately 4% [1] - On the other hand, Berkshire significantly increased its investment in Constellation Brands by 113.5%, acquiring 6.38 million shares, bringing the total to 12 million shares [1] - Additionally, the company added 760,000 shares of Occidental Petroleum and doubled its stake in PoolCorp by acquiring 860,000 shares [1] - Berkshire did not initiate any new positions in the first quarter [1] Investment Strategy - Berkshire's flagship holding, Apple, remained unchanged at 300 million shares, with a market value of $66.6 billion, representing about 25% of its total stock portfolio [1] - The company reduced its investment in Liberty Formula One by about half, down to 3.5 million shares [2] - Overall, Berkshire's investment activity in the first quarter was relatively cautious, with minimal stock trading changes [2] - The company currently holds cash and U.S. Treasury securities totaling $333 billion, indicating a strong preference for cash in the current market environment [2]

Group 1 - Berkshire Hathaway, led by Warren Buffett, made significant adjustments to its stock portfolio in Q1 2024, notably reducing its holdings in several major banks [1] - The company completely exited its investment in Citigroup by selling 14,639,502 shares and reduced its stake in Bank of America by over 7% with the sale of 48,660,056 shares, while still holding over 631.5 million shares [1] - Berkshire also reduced its position in Capital One by selling 300,000 shares, representing a decrease of approximately 4% [1] Group 2 - The largest purchase in the quarter was an increase in holdings of Constellation Brands, with Berkshire acquiring 6,384,676 shares, raising its total stake by 113% to 12,009,000 shares [3] - Apple remains the cornerstone of Berkshire's portfolio, with the company holding 300 million shares, accounting for about 25% of its total stock investments, with no further changes made in Q1 [5] Group 3 - The 13F filings reveal that major investment institutions must disclose their long-term holdings within 45 days after the end of each quarter, providing insights into institutional capital flows, although they do not include short positions or certain trading activities [7] - Warren Buffett announced he will step down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway by the end of the year, with Abel designated as his successor [7]

Group 1 - Berkshire Hathaway has more than doubled its stake in Constellation Brands, increasing its holdings from 5.6 million shares to approximately 12 million shares, representing a 6.6% ownership in the company [1][2][4] - The company has sold its holdings in Citigroup and Brazilian fintech lender Nu Holdings as part of its portfolio adjustments [1][2] - The quarterly disclosures do not specify whether individual trades were made by Warren Buffett, portfolio managers Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, or future CEO Greg Abel [3]

Group 1 - Berkshire Hathaway, led by Warren Buffett, sold significant positions in bank stocks during Q1, including liquidating 14.63 million shares of Citigroup and reducing its stake in Bank of America by 4.866 million shares [1] - The company maintained its position in Apple, holding 300 million shares unchanged [1] - Berkshire increased its investment in Constellation Brands by 6.38 million shares, representing a 113.5% increase, and also added 760,000 shares of Occidental Petroleum and 860,000 shares of Pool Corporation [1] Group 2 - Notably, Berkshire did not establish any new positions in stocks during the first quarter [1]

Core Viewpoint - Constellation Brands is expected to grow faster than the beer industry despite a current slowdown, primarily due to its strong brand portfolio, particularly Modelo Especial [2]. Company Outlook - The company recently revised its growth outlook for the beer business, attributing the changes to non-structural factors related to macroeconomic conditions and Hispanic consumer behavior [3]. - Confidence in the brand's health and the ability to manage controllable factors supports the belief that the slowdown is transitory rather than structural [4].

Core Viewpoint - Investors are evaluating Ambev (ABEV) and Constellation Brands (STZ) for potential undervalued stock opportunities in the Beverages - Alcohol sector [1] Group 1: Zacks Rank and Earnings Outlook - ABEV has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a positive earnings outlook, while STZ has a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) [3] - The Zacks Rank system emphasizes companies with positive earnings estimate revisions, suggesting ABEV is likely to see greater improvement in its earnings outlook [3][7] Group 2: Valuation Metrics - ABEV has a forward P/E ratio of 14.29 compared to STZ's forward P/E of 14.77, indicating ABEV may be more attractively priced [5] - ABEV's PEG ratio is 3.03, while STZ's PEG ratio is significantly higher at 8.87, suggesting ABEV offers better value relative to its expected earnings growth [5] - ABEV's P/B ratio is 2.42, compared to STZ's P/B of 4.74, further supporting ABEV's valuation advantage [6] - Based on these metrics, ABEV earns a Value grade of B, while STZ receives a Value grade of D [6]

Constellation Brands (STZ) Conference Call Summary Industry Overview - The beer industry is currently experiencing a slowdown, but Constellation Brands is expected to grow faster than the industry due to its strong portfolio, particularly Modelo Especial [1][2] Key Points and Arguments Growth Outlook - Constellation revised its growth outlook for the beer business, attributing the changes to nonstructural factors related to macroeconomic conditions and Hispanic consumer behavior [2][3] - The company believes the current slowdown is transitory rather than structural, citing confidence in brand health and controllable factors [3][4] Macroeconomic Factors - Increased unemployment, particularly among Hispanic consumers, and ongoing inflation are significant concerns [4][5] - Real disposable income growth has hit a two-year low, and private housing starts are weak, contributing to a challenging economic backdrop [4][5] - The Hispanic consumer segment is tightening spending across grocery and dining out, impacting beer consumption [5][6] Consumer Behavior - The Hispanic consumer represents about 35% of Constellation's volume, with Modelo Especial having around 50% of its volume from this demographic [10] - There are concerns within the Hispanic community regarding socio-political issues, leading to reduced social outings and gatherings [6][11] Brand Performance - Despite the challenges, Constellation's brands have shown resilience, with growth in the younger legal drinking age cohort being double that of the total beer category [7] - The company is not seeing significant impacts from GLP-1 drugs or cannabis on beer consumption, with performance remaining stable in states where cannabis is legal [8][9] Marketing and Strategy - Constellation is maintaining its marketing spend, which is projected to be around 8.5% to 8.6% of sales, to support brand health and growth [26][46] - The company is focusing on expanding its SKU offerings and improving shelf space, with high single-digit gains reported in spring resets [13][28] Future Expectations - The company anticipates stabilization in inflation and unemployment in FY 2026, with modest improvements expected thereafter [18][19] - Volume growth guidance for FY 2026 is flat to low single digits, reflecting a cautious outlook given the current economic conditions [20][21] Brand-Specific Insights - Modelo Especial is positioned for growth, particularly in on-premise settings, with significant opportunities in draft handles [51][52] - Corona Extra is facing challenges but is not critical for meeting overall guidance; the brand aims to return to growth through strategic marketing and distribution efforts [55][56] Wine and Spirits Segment - Constellation is divesting parts of its wine and spirits business to focus on higher-performing segments, with expectations for low to mid-single-digit growth in the remaining portfolio [63][64] - The company anticipates a transitional year in FY 2026 due to prior contractual obligations impacting financial results [66][67] Capital Allocation - The company remains committed to maintaining a leverage target of three times and has authorized $4 billion for share buybacks through FY 2028 [69][70] Other Important Insights - The company is actively monitoring structural changes in consumer behavior and market dynamics, remaining adaptable to shifts in the industry landscape [9][12] - Constellation's marketing strategy is data-driven, focusing on maximizing ROI through a mix of traditional and digital media [44][46] This summary encapsulates the key insights from the Constellation Brands conference call, highlighting the company's strategic focus amidst current industry challenges and consumer behavior shifts.

Group 1 - Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ) was rated as a Strong Buy due to its undervaluation and market overreaction to short-term headwinds like tariffs [1] - The investment strategy focuses on GARP (growth at a reasonable price) stocks while also seeking opportunities in other areas [1] - The analyst has developed market-beating algorithms using Python to identify attractive investment opportunities since 2016 [1] Group 2 - The analyst has a beneficial long position in STZ shares through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives [2] - The article expresses the analyst's own opinions and is not compensated for it, aside from Seeking Alpha [2] - There is no business relationship with any company mentioned in the article [2]

Core Viewpoint - Constellation Brands has experienced a 3.6% increase in share price over the past month, underperforming the S&P 500, raising questions about the sustainability of this trend leading up to the next earnings report [1]. Estimates Movement - Estimates for Constellation Brands have trended downward over the past month, indicating a negative outlook for the stock [2]. VGM Scores - The company holds a Growth Score of B but has a poor Momentum Score of F, and a Value Score of D, placing it in the bottom 40% for the value investment strategy. The overall aggregate VGM Score is D, suggesting a lack of strong performance across multiple investment strategies [3]. Outlook - The downward trend in estimates suggests a negative shift in expectations, leading to a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) for Constellation Brands, with an anticipated below-average return in the coming months [4].

Group 1 - Moretus Research provides high-quality equity research focused on U.S. public markets, aiming to deliver clarity, conviction, and alpha for serious investors [1] - The research framework identifies companies with durable business models, mispriced cash flow potential, and intelligent capital allocation, emphasizing a structured and repeatable approach [1] - Valuation methods are based on sector-relevant multiples tailored to each company's business model and capital structure, prioritizing comparability, simplicity, and relevance [1] Group 2 - Research coverage focuses on underappreciated companies experiencing structural changes or temporary dislocations, where disciplined analysis can yield asymmetric returns [1] - Moretus Research aims to elevate the standard for independent investment research by providing professional-grade insights and actionable valuations [1]