SAM (Boston Beer Co) Degree of Operating Leverage : 7.09 (As of Jun. 2026)

Author: Vera Yuan Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
Director of Data and Quant Analytics at GuruFocus
Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
Reviewed by: Charlie Tian Charlie Tian
Charlie Tian
Charlie Tian
Founder & CEO of GuruFocus
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.

SAM Boston Beer Co Inc SAM
68 GF Score
Price $178.65
GF Value $262.22
Valuation Significantly Undervalued
! 1 Warning Sign
View Full Analysis

What is Boston Beer Co Degree of Operating Leverage?

Boston Beer Co SAM 68 Degree of Operating Leverage is 7.09 as of Jun. 2026. GuruFocus rates SAM with a GF Score™ of 68/100 and a GF Value™ of $262.22 (Significantly Undervalued). The stock has 1 warning sign investors should review. Among 207 Beverages - Alcoholic companies, Boston Beer Co ranks worse than 76.33% on this metric.

Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) measures the percentage change in EBIT for a unit change in Revenue. Boston Beer Co's Degree of Operating Leverage for the quarter that ended in Jun. 2026 was 7.09. The higher Degree of Operating Leverage, the higher operating risk the company will take.

The industry rank for Boston Beer Co's Degree of Operating Leverage or its related term are showing as below:

SAM's Degree of Operating Leverage is ranked worse than
76.33% of 207 companies
in the Beverages - Alcoholic industry
Industry Median: 1.3 vs SAM: 7.09

Boston Beer Co  (NYSE:SAM) Degree of Operating Leverage Explanation

Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) is a leverage ratio that measures the sensitivity of a company’s operting income, also referred to as Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT), to fluctuations in its Revenue. DOL is a method used to quantify a company’s operating risk. This risk is related to the company's structure of variable costs and fixed costs. Since the fixed costs do not allow the company to adjust the operating costs, the operating risk rises with a higher fixed-to-variable costs proportion.

A high Degree of Operating Leverage indicates that the company’s fixed costs exceed its variable costs. By increasing the sales, the company can earn more profits. In addition, the company must be able to maintain relatively high sales to cover all fixed costs.

Be Aware

The use of operating leverage varies across different industries and business sectors, and the application of Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) should be adjusted accordingly.


Boston Beer Co Degree of Operating Leverage Related Terms


Boston Beer Co Degree of Operating Leverage Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Boston Beer Co's Degree of Operating Leverage can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Boston Beer Co Degree of Operating Leverage Chart

Boston Beer Co Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Degree of Operating Leverage
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -4.15 73.40 0.86 114.89 -0.01

Boston Beer Co Quarterly Data
Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26 Jun26
Degree of Operating Leverage Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 10.50 -2.21 -0.01 3.80 7.09

SAM vs TAP, STZ: Degree of Operating Leverage Comparison

For the Beverages - Brewers subindustry, Boston Beer Co's Degree of Operating Leverage, along with its competitors' market caps and Degree of Operating Leverage data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


Boston Beer Co Degree of Operating Leverage vs Beverages - Alcoholic Industry

For the Beverages - Alcoholic industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Boston Beer Co's Degree of Operating Leverage distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Boston Beer Co's Degree of Operating Leverage falls into.


SAM
68GF Score
Boston Beer Co Inc SAM
Degree of Operating Leverage is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Boston Beer Co Degree of Operating Leverage Calculation

Boston Beer Co's Degree of Operating Leverage for the quarter that ended in Jun. 2026 is calculated as:

Degree of Operating Leverage=% Change in EBIT**/% Change in Revenue
=( 104.199 (Jun. 2026) / 182.723 (Jun. 2025) - 1 )/( 1925.446 (Jun. 2026) / 2049.592 (Jun. 2025) - 1 )
=-0.4297/-0.0606
=7.09***

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

** TTM data of EBIT and Revenue was used to calculate Degree of Operating Leverage.
*** Please be aware that the Degree of Operating Leverage calculations are based on company-level data using the primary share class. The calculated data provided is for demonstration purposes and may slightly differ from the results displayed in the title due to potential variations caused by currency exchange rate differences throughout the year.

What does a Degree of Operating Leverage of 7.09 mean?
Boston Beer Co (SAM) has a Degree of Operating Leverage of 7.09 as of Jun. 2026. Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) measures the percentage change in EBIT for a unit change in Revenue. View historical data for Boston Beer Co and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Boston Beer Co ranks #158 out of 207 companies in the Beverages - Alcoholic industry, placing it in the top 76.3%.
Is Boston Beer Co's Degree of Operating Leverage too high?
Boston Beer Co's current Degree of Operating Leverage is 7.09. The Beverages - Alcoholic industry median Degree of Operating Leverage is 1.30. Boston Beer Co's value of 7.09 is 445.4% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Boston Beer Co ranks #158 out of 207 companies in the Beverages - Alcoholic industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Boston Beer Co has a GF Score™ of 68/100 and is considered Significantly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Boston Beer Co's Degree of Operating Leverage compare to TAP and STZ?
According to the Beverages - Alcoholic industry distribution chart, Boston Beer Co ranks #158 out of 207 companies for Degree of Operating Leverage. This places Boston Beer Co in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Degree of Operating Leverage is 1.30. Boston Beer Co's value of 7.09 is 445.4% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Degree of Operating Leverage for a Beverages - Alcoholic company?
The median Degree of Operating Leverage among Beverages - Alcoholic companies is 1.30, based on 207 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Degree of Operating Leverage significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Degree of Operating Leverage should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Boston Beer Co's current Degree of Operating Leverage of 7.09 is 445.4% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Degree of Operating Leverage mean?
A high Degree of Operating Leverage can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) measures the percentage change in EBIT for a unit change in Revenue. View historical data for Boston Beer Co and its competitors. For the Beverages - Alcoholic industry, the median Degree of Operating Leverage is 1.30 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Boston Beer Co's current Degree of Operating Leverage is 7.09. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Boston Beer Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Boston Beer Co (SAM) is currently considered Significantly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $262.22, compared to a current price of $178.65 — trading 31.9% below its estimated fair value. The current Degree of Operating Leverage is 7.09 and 445.4% above the Beverages - Alcoholic industry median of 1.30. Boston Beer Co's overall GF Score™ is 68/100 with 1 warning sign to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Degree of Operating Leverage calculated?
Degree of Operating Leverage is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Boston Beer Co (SAM), the current Degree of Operating Leverage is 7.09 as of Jun. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Is Boston Beer Co (SAM) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Boston Beer Co stock appears to be undervalued. The current stock price of $178.65 is trading 31.9% below its estimated GF Value™ of $262.22. GuruFocus considers Boston Beer Co to be Significantly Undervalued.

Key valuation signals for SAM:

  • Degree of Operating Leverage: 7.09
  • GF Value™: $262.22 vs. price of $178.65 (31.9% below fair value)
  • GF Score™: 68/100 with 1 warning sign
  • Industry Position: 445.4% above the Beverages - Alcoholic median (#158 of 207)

No single metric tells the full story. See the SAM stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Boston Beer Co Business Description

Other Exchanges BBEA:Germany
Address One Design Center Place, Suite 850, Boston, MA, USA, 02210
Boston Beer is a top player in high-end malt beverages and adjacent categories in the US, with strong positions in craft beer, flavored malt beverages, hard cider, and hard seltzer. The bulk of volume and revenue is concentrated in four brands: Samuel Adams, Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea, and Truly. Beverages are produced using a hybrid model leveraging both in-house capacities and third-party breweries through contract arrangements. While the firm is required to use distributors to reach end markets, including retailers and on-premises operators, it also employs 500 internal sales representatives to educate the market about its products. The firm generates almost all sales in the US.
68GF Score

Get the complete analysis for SAM

Degree of Operating Leverage is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$178.65
Price
$262.22
GF Value