Industry Recognition - The spirits industry's top bars, bartenders, brand ambassadors, and spirits writers will be recognized at the annual Tales of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans this July [1]

11 June 2025 | 12:11AM HKT China Consumer Staples: May Check In and Consumer Corp. Day Wrap: A bumpy road with policy swings, channel shift amid deflation We hosted multiple staple companies at our Consumer & Leisure Corporate Day and performed channel checks in the past weeks. We are seeing a bumpy road of demand recovery and still largely slow 2Q-to-date run-rates across staples sub-sectors, esp. for spirits, beer, and dairy. Recent policy tightening in alcohol consumption by government officers and civil ...

Core Viewpoint - MDWerks, Inc. is focused on sustainable technology and has made significant progress in its business model, particularly with the launch of its "Whiskey-as-a-Service" (WaaS) initiative, which is expected to generate recurring revenue streams and enhance shareholder value [1][2][3][12]. Business Developments - The company successfully launched its WaaS business model, signing contracts for the construction and deployment of proprietary Spirits Rapid Aging Systems (SRAS) [2][3]. - Construction of SRAS units began in March 2025, with completion expected in the third quarter of 2025, leading to new recurring cash flow streams [4]. - MDWerks has entered into an asset purchase agreement to acquire 680 barrels of aged whiskey, which will be matured using its SRAS unit, enhancing its raw material inventory [7]. Strategic Partnerships - A new agreement with an international spirits investment fund grants limited exclusivity for deploying SRAS units in three countries, contingent on the annual deployment of at least one unit in each country [6]. - The company anticipates additional SRAS deployments from both existing customers and new third parties within the next twelve months [5]. Product Launches - The subsidiary, Two Trees Beverage Company, launched a new product line called Uplifting Spirits, with a portion of sales from a limited-edition bourbon whiskey dedicated to Hurricane Helene relief efforts [8]. Operational Updates - The company is nearing completion of a molecular sawdust drying machine for a major lumber mill customer, with deployment expected in the third quarter of 2025 [9]. - David Stephens has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer, bringing nearly two decades of experience in financial reporting and accounting [11]. Financial Outlook - MDWerks expects revenue to trend upward in the second quarter of 2025 and significantly increase in subsequent periods compared to the first quarter [12].

7 May 2025 | 2:28AM HKT China Consumer Connections Pulse Check: Labor Day holiday consumption wrap-up: better-than-expected and accelerated retail sales growth The retail and consumer sector data we collected during the Labor Day holiday this year (May 1-5, same as in 2024) suggests solid holiday spending growth despite a high base, which looks better than expected especially amid the US tariff-fueled pessimism in April. This reaffirms our view that consumption has bottomed out, though we acknowledge volati ...

Core Insights - MGP reported a revenue of $121.65 million for the quarter ended March 2025, reflecting a 28.7% decline year-over-year, with EPS at $0.36 compared to $1.07 in the same quarter last year [1] - The revenue exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $113.26 million by 7.41%, while the EPS surpassed the consensus estimate of $0.31 by 16.13% [1] Financial Performance - MGP's branded spirits sales were $48.23 million, slightly below the estimated $48.51 million, marking a year-over-year decrease of 3.8% [4] - Ingredient solutions sales reached $26.48 million, exceeding the estimated $26.11 million, but showing a significant decline of 25.5% compared to the previous year [4] - Distilling solutions sales were reported at $46.94 million, surpassing the average estimate of $38.64 million, yet reflecting a substantial year-over-year drop of 44.7% [4] Market Performance - Over the past month, MGP shares have returned 4.2%, contrasting with a 0.7% decline in the Zacks S&P 500 composite [3] - MGP currently holds a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), indicating potential underperformance relative to the broader market in the near term [3]