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Carlsberg A/S

CARL-B.CO
48
Beverages - Alcoholic · Consumer Defensive
Price
kr 949.40
-7.00 (-0.73%)
Market Cap
kr 125.48B
Exchange
NASDAQ Copenhagen
Winston Score
48
Winston is serious
Mixed quality — meaningful strengths and weaknesses.
Data as of Aug 9, 2026 · filings through Dec 31, 2025

Share count falling — buybacks

8.1% over 4y

The company has reduced its share count over this period, returning value to shareholders through buybacks.

Diluted shares outstanding: 144.3M (2021) → 132.5M (2025)

Carlsberg A/S is a Danish company that makes and sells beer. It owns the Carlsberg brand, one of the most recognized beer names in the world, along with hundreds of other brands including Tuborg, Kronenbourg 1664, and Grimbergen. The company sells its products to bars, restaurants, grocery stores, and consumers across more than 150 markets worldwide.

Carlsberg earns money by brewing and distributing beer, selling it to wholesalers, retailers, and hospitality businesses. It is one of the three largest beer companies in the world, with especially strong positions in Europe and Asia. Its wide portfolio of local and international brands, combined with its large distribution network, gives it a durable competitive position. The key growth driver is expanding volume in fast-growing Asian markets, while the main risk is declining beer consumption in mature Western European markets, where health-conscious trends and cost-of-living pressures are reducing alcohol spending.

Winston Score History

Growth Profile

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

+19.4% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Steady revenue growth

EPS Growth

-16.9% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Earnings declining

R&D Spend

$152M/ year

Rising (+7% vs prior year)

0.2% of revenue

Below sector average (2%)

R&D investment increasing — building for the future

Insider Activity

8.8%ownership

Insiders own a meaningful stake in the company

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

$14.8B cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

→ Burn rate stable

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Growth + cash flow

Carlsberg A/S is a rare growth stock that's already generating positive cash flow while growing at 19%. The Winston Score doesn't fully credit this transition from "burner" to "earner."

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

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Quality

Gross Margin
38.4%
Modest — 38.4% gross margin
Operating Margin
10.9%
Modest — 10.9% operating margin
ROCE
4.9%
Weak — 4.9% return on capital

ROIC between 0% and 5%. They earn a few cents back per dollar invested in the business.

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Growth

Sales YoY
+18.8%
Fast-growing sales (+18.8% YoY)
EPS YoY
-9.0%
Earnings shrinking (-9.0% YoY)

Slight earnings drop. Typical near a cyclical low.

EPS Consistency
5/8 quarters
Mixed — about half the quarters showed growth

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Cash Flow

Cash Conversion
207%
Turns 207% of profit into real cash
FCF Margin
8.2%
Modest free cash flow (8.2%)

FCF margin between 0% and 10%. Some cash from sales, but not a lot.

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Stability

Debt / Equity
2.44
Heavy debt load (2.44)
Interest Cover
2.72x
Tight — interest eats into profit (2.7x)

Interest coverage between 1 and 3. Profits cover interest, but with little room to spare.

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Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)
20.4x
Growth-priced — P/E 20.4

P/E above the market average. People are paying up for expected growth.

P/E vs Forward
+7.9
GROWING
Earnings expected to grow meaningfully — cheaper on forward P/E (20.4 → 12.5)

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Dividends

Dividend Yield
3.04%
Moderate income — 3.04% yield

Standard yield zone for stable dividend payers. A meaningful piece of total return.

Dividend Growth
+29.4%
Dividend growing fast (29.4% YoY)

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