We award a wide moat rating to Constellation Brands on the basis of the strong brand equity and tight distributor relations that the company’s top-selling Mexican beer portfolio enjoys, as well as some scale-based cost advantages in procurement and advertising.
Strong brand equity and well-established distributor relationships will continue to fuel beer volume expansion for Constellation.
Bears
Distribution rights surrounding the Modelo and Corona brands limit Constellation’s beer operations to the US market and prevent the firm from replicating its success internationally.
Constellation Brands is the largest provider of alcoholic beverages across the beer, wine, and spirits categories in the us, generating 80% of revenue from Mexican beer imports under top-selling brands such as Modelo and Corona. The rest of the business includes some remaining wine and spirits brands, categories where the company continue to prune assets in recent years. With its exclusive rights tied to the Mexican beer brands effective only in the us, the firm has small revenue exposure to international markets. Constellation owns a 36% stake in no-moat Canopy Growth, a medicinal and recreational cannabis producer in Canada, and has a 50/50 joint venture with glass manufacturer Owens-Illinois in Mexico.