A-B InBev’s Share Price Problems Aren’t Over, Analyst Says

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Anheuser-Busch InBev is in the same league as Coca-Cola and Diageo in terms of return on capital, dominant market positioning and steady value accumulation, but its stock price stinks says Vladimir Dimitrov, a financial analyst, on Seeking Alpha.  What’s up?

In a word, he writes, the answer is “capital allocation mistakes made years ago.’  And, he warns, “the problems are far from over.

“Even though the total amount of net debt has declined in recent years, the share price is now even more sensitive to changes in certain exchange rates. At the same time, stiff competition in key Emerging Markets and rising raw material costs will require even higher reinvestment in the business, which does not bode well with the debt related risks. Consequently, AB InBev’s low valuation multiples do not yet mean that the company’s share price is going to outperform its peers and consumer staples as a whole.

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Coors Light Signs as Founding Partner of HBCU Legacy Bowl

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Not one player from a Historically Black College or University was selected for the 2021 draft.  So the Black College Hall of Fame decided to do something about that.  The solution: The HBCU Legacy Bowl.

This first-of-its-kind all-star game will feature 100 of the best football players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country and give them the opportunity to showcase their skills.  And Coors Light is a founding sponsor.

“Coors Light has been a great partner to me throughout many of my endeavors and I’m glad to have them on board as a partner of the HBCU Legacy Bowl,” says Patrick Mahomes. “It’s imperative we create a platform for HBCU players and help provide an opportunity to continue their career at the professional level.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with Coors Light for the HBCU Legacy Bowl and are appreciative of their commitment to highlight player talent coming out of HBCUs,” says Co-Founder of the Black College Football Hall of Fame Doug Williams.

Following a week-long celebration of Black culture and history, the HBCU Legacy Bowl will take place at Yulman Stadium on Tulane University campus in New Orleans, LA on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at 3pm, and broadcast live on NFL Network.

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Crown Royal Honors Troops with $50,000 Donation at CMA

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Crown Royal donated $50,000 to the Bob Woodruff Foundation during the 55th Annual CMA Awards.  The donation is intended to support veterans communities still affected by the pandemic and was made through the Crown Royal Generosity Fund as is part of a larger $1 million commitment.

For over a decade, Crown Royal has repurposed their iconic purple bags and filled them with essentials for servicemen and women overseas. Since the launch of The Crown Royal Purple Bag Project, the brand has packed over 1 million purple bags. As part of today’s announcement, Crown Royal continues to extend their efforts to support our military, whose generosity remains unmatched.

“Crown Royal has a long-standing commitment to support American military heroes, and at last year’s CMA Awards we celebrated achieving our goal of packing 1 million purple bags through the Purple Bag Project for servicemen and women overseas,” said Nicola Heckles, vp- Crown Royal, Diageo North America.

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New Belgium Agrees to Buy Bell’s Brewery

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Terms of the agreement between New Belgium Brewing Co. and Bell’s weren’t disclosed.  Jim Bell, who founded the Comstock, Mich., company in 1985, said he was retiring.

“I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together,” Bell said. “From our wonderful fans, to the amazing team that has helped share our beer with the world, to the ways we’ve been able to invest in causes we believe in – this has been an absolutely incredible journey.”

“This decision ultimately came down to two determining factors,” Bell said. “First, the folks at New Belgium share our ironclad commitment to the craft of brewing and the community-first way we’ve built our business. Second, this was the right time. I’ve been doing this for more than 36 years and recently battled some serious health issues. I want everyone who loves this company like I do to know we have found a partner that truly values our incredible beer, our culture, and the importance of our roots here in Michigan.”

The combination of Bell’s and New Belgium places the expanded company at the top of the U.S. craft beer market in sales volume and growth, with an extraordinary lineup of brands including the #1 IPA brand in the U.S., Voodoo Ranger, along with Fat Tire, Two Hearted Ale, and Oberon Ale.

New Belgium is a unit of Austalia’s Lion Nathan, which in turn is a unit of Japan’s Kirin Brewing.

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A Tool to Spot DUI Offenders Can Now Spot Mental Health Issues in Broader Population

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

A screening tool originally created to help criminal justice practitioners identify drunk drivers with psychiatric co-morbidity has been modified to serve as a screen tool that can be used in the broader, general population 

The “Computerized Assessment and Referral System” (CARS) was  created in 2017 by the Cambridge Health Alliance at Harvard Medical School with sponsorship by Responsibility.org,  The upgraded CARS Mental Health Screener will be useful for physicians, mental health professionals, first responders, and veteran service organizations. It includes DSM-5 criteria and instantly generates personalized diagnostic reports that are easy to understand along with a ZIP code locator that provides users with local mental health and treatment resources in a user-friendly report. 

The critical new updates were announced during a webinar entitled, “Alcohol Use Disorders Among U.S. Veterans—How to Provide Improved Identification and Treatment” today.  

“According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 17 million adults had a substance use disorder and a mental health illness and nearly 15% needed substance use treatment,” said Chris Swonger, president/CEO, Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS) and Responsibility.org. “Mental health problems that extend beyond substance use disorders are common among people with addiction and can affect treatment outcomes. CARS can facilitate identifying mental health needs and facilitate treatment referral in less than 40 minutes.” 

The new screener can be administered or used as a self-screener to evaluate for potential disorders and identify mental health areas that warrant additional attention and includes the following components: 

·       The assessment consists of different modules administered for each psychiatric disorder or psychosocial domain. 

·       The report generator includes personalized information about the mental health disorders for which a client qualifies or is at risk, condensing the information into a streamlined, reader-friendly format. 

·       The referral generator compiles a list of resources dependent on the issues and location of the client. 

“The approach to the tool is user friendly and identifies substance use disorders and an array of mental health issues. It is easily used by our clinicians and staff members and allows us to populate the tool with our community resources,” said Judge Robert Anchondo, El Paso County Criminal Court. “The screening determines if the participant is at high risk for recidivism and needs treatment. This is vitally essential since we, as a treatment court, need to commence these services immediately or determine if residential placement should be the first step.”  

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California Vintners See 2021 Vintage as One of Best in Recent Years

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

The ongoing drought presented challenges for winegrowers, resulting in reduced yields, but vintners are reporting outstanding quality and great concentration in the fruit, Wine Institute said.

California produces about 80% of the nation’s wine, making it the world’s fourth-largest wine-producing region. More than 80% of California wine is made in a Certified Sustainable California Winery and over half of the state’s 637,000 vineyard acres are certified to one of California’s sustainability programs (Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing, Fish Friendly Farming, Lodi Rules, Napa Green and SIP-Certified). Along with preserving the land for future generations, many of the sustainable practices used by the state’s vintners help make the harvest and growing season run more smoothly and increase wine quality.

Yields at Rodney Strong Vineyards were down about 14% overall, while Chardonnay and Pinot Noir came in around average. “The quality and the color of the wine, and the tannin development are some of the best I’ve ever seen,” said Justin Seidenfeld, director of winemaking said. “Our Bordeaux reds are amazing. It’s going to be an off-the-charts vintage for sure.”

Corey Beck, executive vice president of production and chief winemaker at Delicato Family Wines, also noted a decrease in yields. “We had to deal with drought conditions across Napa and Sonoma County, leading to lower cluster weights,” he said. “The good news is that we see a fantastic concentration of flavors and color in our reds.”

At J. Lohr Vineyards & Winesyields came in around average, with fruit showing more structure and higher tannin levels than typical.

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