Should Investors Buy Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP) Alongside Skylands Capital's $3 Million Purchase?

Skylands Capital, LLC reported purchasing 70,440 additional shares of Molson Coors Beverage Company (NYSE:TAP), increasing its position by an estimated $2.87 million, according to a November 6, 2025, SEC filing for the period ended September 30, 2025.

What happened

According to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission dated November 06, 2025, Skylands Capital increased its stake in Molson Coors by 70,440 shares during Q3 2025.

This brought the fund's total holding to 180,650 shares, with a reported market value of $8.17 million.

The position now represents 1.13% of the fund's reportable assets.

What else to know

Skylands Capital increased its TAP position, which now accounts for 1.13% of 13F assets, outside its top five holdings.

Top holdings after the filing:

1. Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP): $53.03 million (7.3% of AUM) as of 2025-09-30
2. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL): $46.97 million (6.5% of AUM) as of 2025-09-30
3. General Motors (NYSE:GM): $29.31 million (4.1% of AUM) as of 2025-09-30
4. Diebold Nixdorf (NYSE:DBD): $27.75 million (3.8% of AUM) as of 2025-09-30
5. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL): $27.39 million (3.8% of AUM) as of 2025-09-30

As of November 5, 2025, shares of Molson Coors were priced at $45.18, down 17% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 by 35 percentage points.

Company Overview

Company Snapshot

Molson Coors Beverage Company:

• Produces and markets beer, flavored malt beverages, craft, and ready-to-drink beverages under a diverse brand portfolio.
• Generates revenue primarily through the sale of alcoholic beverages across multiple global markets, leveraging established distribution networks and brand recognition.
• Serves a broad customer base across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific.

Molson Coors Beverage Company is a leading global brewer with a heritage dating back to 1774, operating at scale with a focus on the consumer defensive sector.

The company leverages a broad portfolio of established brands and international distribution.

Foolish take

Skylands Capital's purchase of Molson Coors is an interesting buy in the sense that they are doubling down on a losing position.

From a Foolish perspective, I typically try not to water my weeds and trim my flowers, so this trade runs counter to this notion.

That said, from the firm's perspective, this could be a classic "buy the dip" opportunity, especially with Molson Coors' discounted valuation.

Trading at just six times EBITDA and with its 4.1% dividend yield at its highest level since 2020, the company offers the potential to be a value stock.

However, with Millennials and Gen Z in the United States rapidly abandoning alcoholic beverages -- particularly beer -- things might get worse for Molson Coors over the coming years.

Molson remains down over 50% from its all-time high in 2016 and looks more like a falling knife or value trap than a true value stock in my opinion.

However, Molson continues to generate ample free cash flow, so if management continues buying back shares and growing its dividend, the company could become a buy at a low enough valuation, similar to cigarette stocks over the last few decades.

Glossary

AUM: Assets Under Management; the total market value of investments managed by a fund or firm.
13F assets: Securities reported by institutional investment managers in quarterly SEC Form 13F filings.
Quarter over quarter: A comparison of financial or operational results from one fiscal quarter to the next.
Dividend yield: Annual dividends paid by a company divided by its share price, expressed as a percentage.
Trailing twelve-month (TTM): The 12-month period ending with the most recent quarterly report.
Consumer defensive sector: Industry segment including companies that produce essential goods, less sensitive to economic cycles.
Reportable assets: Investment holdings that must be disclosed to regulators, such as those reported in SEC filings.
Position size: The amount or value of a particular security held within a portfolio.
Filing: An official document submitted to a regulatory authority, often containing financial or ownership information.
Market value: The current total value of a security or portfolio based on prevailing market prices.

Josh Kohn-Lindquist has positions in Alphabet and Union Pacific. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Apple. The Motley Fool recommends General Motors and Union Pacific. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.