** Deutsche Bank is increasingly cautious about beverage alcohol, particularly spirits, while soft drinks remain its most attractive sub-segment in European beverages
** With 2025 set to be the fourth consecutive year of absolute decline for Total Beverage Alcohol (TBA) consumption in the U.S., per capita consumption in litres of pure alcohol (LPA) is likely to end 2025 below 2017 levels, it says
** Abstention rates are rising in the U.S. as health concerns build, while rising cannabis consumption and less time spent socialising are also headwinds, DB notes
** TBA consumption declined in 79% of developed markets during 2019-2024 but grew in 55% of emerging markets, it says
** However, beer is outperforming spirits in both developed and emerging markets
** In such a scenario, the brokerage favours multibeverage companies such as Carlsberg CARLb.CO ("buy") and Royal Unibrew RBREW.CO, which it raises to "buy" from "hold", as well as EM-focussed brewers such as AB Inbev ABI.BR ("buy")
** Its top picks in Soft Drinks remain Coca-Cola HBC CCH.BN and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners CCEPC.L
** It remains cautious on spirits with Remy Cointreau RCOP.PA "sell"-rated
COMPANY
NEW RATING
OLD RATING
AB Inbev
buy
buy
Carlsberg
buy
buy
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
buy
buy
Coca-Cola HBC
buy
buy
Campari Group CPRI.MI
hold
hold
Diageo DGE.L
hold
hold
Heineken HEIN.AS
hold
hold
Remy Cointreau
sell
sell
Royal Unibrew
buy
hold
(Reporting by Marta Frąckowiak)
((marta.frackowiak@thomsonreuters.com))