Ambev (NYSE:ABEV) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.01 EPS

Ambev (NYSE:ABEV - Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $0.05 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.06 by ($0.01), Zacks reports. Ambev had a return on equity of 16.12% and a net margin of 17.02%.

Ambev Price Performance

ABEV stock traded up $0.10 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $1.99. The stock had a trading volume of 26,709,333 shares, compared to its average volume of 39,255,691. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $1.86 and a 200 day simple moving average of $2.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.03, a P/E/G ratio of 5.80 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. Ambev has a 52 week low of $1.76 and a 52 week high of $2.72.

Ambev Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.0414 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 23rd. This represents a yield of 1.93%. Ambev's payout ratio is 38.89%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ABEV has been the subject of a number of research reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Ambev in a report on Monday, January 27th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Citigroup reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Ambev in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Ambev from $2.50 to $2.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Bank of America downgraded shares of Ambev from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $2.45.

Ambev Company Profile

Ambev SA, through its subsidiaries, engages in the production, distribution, and sale of beer, draft beer, carbonated soft drinks, malt and food, other alcoholic beverages, and non-alcoholic and non-carbonated products in Brazil, Central America and Caribbean, Latin America South, and Canada. It offers beer primarily under the Skol, Brahma, Antarctica, Brahva, Budweiser, Bud Light, Beck, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Balboa ICE, Balboa, Atlas Golden Light, Atlas, Bucanero, Cristal, Mayabe, Presidente, Presidente Light, Brahma Light, Bohemia, The One, Corona, Modelo Especial, Stella Artois, Quilmes Clásica, Paceña, Taquiña, Huari, Becker, Cusqueña, Michelob Ultra, Busch, Pilsen, Ouro Fino, Bud 66, Banks, Deputy, Patricia, Labatt Blue, Alexander Keith's, and Kokanee brands.