Ambev (NYSE:ABEV) Stock: Insider Prado Carla Smith De Va Crippa Sells 60,757 Shares

Ambev S.A. (NYSE:ABEV) insider Carla Smith De Vasconcellos Crippa Prado sold 60,757 shares of Ambev stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.09, for a total value of $187,739.13. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 80,707 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $249,384.63. This represents a 42.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Ambev Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of Ambev stock opened at $3.19 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 1.02. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $2.96 and a 200-day moving average of $3.05. Ambev S.A. has a 52-week low of $2.10 and a 52-week high of $3.45. The stock has a market cap of $50.36 billion, a PE ratio of 15.97, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.58.

Ambev (NYSE:ABEV) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.04. Ambev had a net margin of 18.47% and a return on equity of 17.48%. The business had revenue of $3.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.05 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Ambev S.A. will post 0.21 EPS for the current year.

Ambev Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.0092 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 23rd. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Ambev’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on ABEV shares. Bank of America reissued an “underperform” rating and set a $3.30 price target on shares of Ambev in a research report on Wednesday. Scotiabank downgraded Ambev from a “sector outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. UBS Group set a $2.85 price target on Ambev in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Ambev from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Ambev from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ambev has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $3.13.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ambev

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ABEV. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ambev during the second quarter valued at about $32,000. Integrated Advisors Network LLC bought a new position in Ambev in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $31,000. World Investment Advisors acquired a new stake in Ambev during the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. S Harris Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Ambev during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Equitable Trust Co. acquired a new position in Ambev in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 8.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ambev News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Ambev this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks identified Ambev as a potential growth stock, citing business attributes that could support stronger returns. The commentary may be encouraging investors looking for growth within the consumer-staples sector. Is Ambev a Solid Growth Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Ambev’s balance sheet remains a relative strength, with debt-to-equity of just 0.02. The company also pays a modest dividend, supporting its appeal to income-oriented investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks compared Ambev’s performance with other consumer-staples companies, including Archer Daniels Midland, giving investors context on its year-to-date relative performance rather than introducing a new company-specific catalyst. Consumer Staples Performance Comparison
• Neutral Sentiment: Ambev reported no treasury-share transactions during September, indicating no recent buyback or share-issuance activity to influence the stock. No Treasury Share Transactions
• Negative Sentiment: Corporate Affairs Vice President Carla Smith de Va Crippa sold 60,757 shares for approximately $187,739, reducing her direct ownership by 42.95%. Although the sale was disclosed after the transaction, the sizable reduction can weigh on sentiment. Ambev Insider Share Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Brokerage sentiment remains cautious: Bank of America reaffirmed an “Underperform” rating with a $3.30 target, while the broader consensus is “Reduce,” with an average target of $3.13. This limits the upside implied by current valuation levels. Ambev Average Reduce Rating

Ambev Company Profile

Ambev SA is a Brazilian beverage company and one of the largest brewers in Latin America. The company produces, distributes and sells beer, carbonated soft drinks, nonalcoholic beverages and other drink products through a portfolio that includes brands such as Brahma, Skol, Antarctica, Bohemia, Budweiser, Stella Artois and Guaraná Antarctica.

Founded in 1999 through the merger of Companhia Antarctica Paulista and Companhia Cervejaria Brahma, Ambev became part of Anheuser-Busch InBev following the latter’s combination with Anheuser-Busch in 2008.