CluenexBrown–Forman (Class B) BF.B
Brown–Forman (Class B) scores average on business quality (5.9 of 10). Here is why, in plain words, and what our sealed record shows.
Why it matters
- What Brown–Forman (Class B) does
Brown-Forman sells spirits and wines globally, led by Jack Daniel's whiskey, generating revenue from alcohol distributors and retail partners.
- What it does best
Jack Daniel's brand loyalty gives Brown-Forman pricing protection, sitting in the top decile for gross margin at 61% compared to STZ's 53%. This pricing power is protected by long-term trademark moats and aging whiskey inventories that take years to replicate.
- The main risk
Revenue contraction threatens the core spirits portfolio as annual sales ticked down from $4.2B to $3.9B over recent periods. This top-line shrinkage risks crushing the volume growth needed to absorb fixed distillery costs.
Quality, check by check
Scored against its own industry, from company filings.
Operating margin hits 28.9% and free cash flow margin reaches 90th percentile sector ranks, driven by premium spirit pricing. This business generates robust cash conversion as it scales despite recent revenue declines.
The brand intangible asset moat locks in global consumers through decades of heritage. Operating margin ranks in the top decile of its sector at 29%, a level rivals cannot easily copy without equivalent heritage portfolios.
Revenue is contracting at a -1.2% rate, extending a multi-year downward trend from $4.2B down to $3.9B as historical growth engines stall.
Total debt sits at $2.5B with an interest coverage ratio of 11x, meaning debt servicing is manageable. Free cash flow reached $925M, marking a stronger cash generation phase.
Insiders
Executives and directors, from SEC Form 4 filings we read ourselves. Open market trades only; grants, option exercises and pre-planned sales left out.
No open market buys or unplanned sales by executives or directors.
Our sealed record on BF.B
Verdicts appear here 30 days after we publish them; members see today's. Each one is in the nightly ledger, fingerprinted the night it was made.
The first sealed verdicts appear here on Oct 11, 2026.
Questions
Brown–Forman (Class B) scores average on the Cluenex quality check (5.9 of 10), measured against its own industry. Profitability is strong, moat strong, growth slow and financial health fair.
In the last 90 days of SEC Form 4 filings: No open market buys or unplanned sales by executives or directors.
Dec 2, 2026.
See BF.B today
- Today's verdict on BF.B, and why
- Fair value with cautious, base and optimistic cases
- The exact price that would change the verdict
- Which stocks each signal names, the night it fires
Cite this page: Cluenex, “Brown–Forman (Class B) (BF.B)”, https://cluenex.com/stocks/bf.b/, data as of Oct 10, 2026.