Fevertree Drinks (AIM:FEVR) has been downgraded by Deutsche Bank, where analysts say the Molson Coors deal "lacks near-term fizz".
Shares in the mixers maker fell 1.5% today as the bank cut its rating to 'hold' from 'buy', and its target price to 800p from 1325p.
Analyst Deirdre Mullaney says: "Initially, we thought the deal with Molson Coors represented a positive move for the Fever-Tree brand in the US and the overall investment case for the equity."
But having run the numbers with more precise details of the partnership, while it looks a "positive strategic step" for US growth, "the negative impact on the near term financials mean any potential meaningful upside is several years away, in our view".
The partnership arrangement will "fundamentally change" Fevertree's opportunity for margin recovery, which was the basis for the bank's previous recommendation, seeing underlying profit margins recovering to the mid-twenties by 2028.
But on the updated forecasts, the new structure limits margin progression to 17%, and indicates an compound annual growth rate of 17.5% in adjusted earnings per share compared to 40%-plus over the same time frame under previous forecasts.