Ambev S.A. (NYSE:ABEV) shares moved higher on Tuesday as investors reacted to the company’s latest quarterly update.

The brewer pointed to resilient category demand and ongoing digital initiatives supporting consumer engagement and commercial execution.

Earnings In Line, Revenue Misses Estimates

The company reported first-quarter adjusted earnings per share of five cents, in line with the analyst consensus estimate. Quarterly sales of $4.266 billion missed the Street view of $4.46 billion.

“Beer continues to be a beloved and culturally relevant category in our markets, with solid fundamentals and meaningful headroom for growth,” the company said.

Margins Expand Despite Mixed Volume Trends

Gross margin expanded 10 basis points on an organic basis to 51.6%, while normalized EBITDA margin jumped 60 basis points on an organic basis to 33.6%.

Consolidated volumes were broadly flat, reflecting mixed performance across regions.

Growth in Central America and the Caribbean and Brazil Beer supported overall trends during the period.

These gains were offset by declines in Latin America South, Canada and Brazil’s non-alcoholic beverages segment.

Ambev said core segment volumes declined by a low-single-digit percentage in the quarter, mainly impacted by weather, while trends improved sequentially compared with the second half of 2025.

Ambev said its direct-to-consumer platform Zé Delivery continues to strengthen consumer relationships and brand activation, contributing a mid-single-digit share of beer volumes in Brazil while serving as a key source of insights and engagement among legal drinking-age younger adults.

Zé Delivery Drives Digital Engagement and Innovation

Zé Delivery, whose users are largely Gen Z and Millennials (~80%), is helping the company stay ahead of trends while speeding up innovation and testing cycles.

During the quarter, it served as a key innovation hub for the Skol Zero Zero launch, with nearly 90% of users reporting neutral or improved brand perception after trying the product.

The platform also saw modest growth in monthly active users and stronger gains in GMV, reinforcing its position as a major convenience platform in Brazil.

Looking ahead to the FIFA World Cup, the company expects its digital ecosystem—especially Zé Delivery and BEES—to drive demand, improve execution, and support scalable growth.

The firm highlighted that its B2B platform BEES continues to enhance commercial execution at the point of sale by improving insights, assortment and revenue management.

Stock Hits 52-Week High

ABEV Price Action: Ambev shares were up 17.07% at $3.39 at the time of publication on Tuesday. The stock is trading at a new 52-week high, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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