Brown–Forman
Brown-Forman Corporation operates as a leading American-owned premium spirits company with a portfolio spanning more than 40 spirit and ready-to-drink cocktail brands. The company's website is www.brown-forman.com. Founded in 1870 as a partnership and incorporated in Kentucky in 1901, Brown-Forman has evolved into a… From the company’s description.
Margins and return on equity change in ; everything else in percent. Fewer shares and less debt are shown plainly, not as bad news — it depends what you make of buybacks. Dotted labels explain each measure. is shown separately from the annual figures.
What Brown–Forman does
In the company’s own words
Brown-Forman Corporation operates as a leading American-owned premium spirits company with a portfolio spanning more than 40 spirit and ready-to-drink cocktail brands. The company's website is www.brown-forman.com. Founded in 1870 as a partnership and incorporated in Kentucky in 1901, Brown-Forman has evolved into a global beverage alcohol manufacturer, distiller, bottler, importer, exporter, and marketer with approximately 4,900 employees across six continents, including roughly 1,900 in the United States and 700 at its Louisville, Kentucky headquarters.
The Jack Daniel's family of brands represents the cornerstone of Brown-Forman's business, with Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey serving as the number one selling American whiskey globally. The company's broader portfolio includes iconic brands such as Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Herradura and el Jimador tequilas, Diplomático rums, Gin Mare, and various Scotch whisky expressions including The Glendronach, Benriach, and Glenglassaugh. The company also produces ready-to-drink cocktails and liqueurs like Chambord.
Brown-Forman sells its products in over 170 countries, with the United States representing its largest market at 42 percent of net sales in fiscal 2026, while international markets account for 58 percent. The company operates owned distribution networks in 17 countries including Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom, while utilizing third-party distributors and government-controlled channels in other markets. The company's distribution model varies by jurisdiction based on regulatory frameworks, market attractiveness, and competitive dynamics.
The company maintains a dual-class share structure with the Brown family controlling more than 50 percent of voting stock, establishing Brown-Forman as a family-controlled company under New York Stock Exchange rules. This long-term ownership structure supports the company's strategic focus on building enduring premium brands and managing aged spirits inventory that requires multi-year production planning. The company emphasizes responsible marketing, sustainability initiatives, and community engagement alongside its core mission of delivering premium spirits to legal-drinking-age consumers worldwide.
Company details
- Sector
- Consumer Staples
- Industry (SIC)
- Beverages
- Headquarters
- LOUISVILLE, KY
- Fiscal year end
- April
- CIK
- 14693
- SIC
- 2080
Financial performance, year by year
Fiscal 2014–2026 · USDThe full income statement, balance sheet and cash flow for each of these years — every figure traceable to its filing — is on the Financials tab with a free account.
Who owns Brown–Forman — and what changed
Funds as of 2026Q2 · superinvestors as of 2026-06-30
Superinvestors in Brown–Forman · what they did last quarter
Share of each manager’s reported 13F portfolio. Change is in shares held, since the previous quarter.
Largest fund holders · Brown–Forman’s weight in each
Fund ownership is a floor, not a census — pensions, insurers and people holding shares directly are not visible here.
By share class
| Class | Held by funds | Funds | Shares out |
|---|---|---|---|
| BF/AClass A Common Stock (voting), $0.15 par value | 4.2% | 141 | 168.5M |
| BF/BClass B Common Stock (nonvoting), $0.15 par value | 33.5% | 457 | 290.4M |
Brown–Forman’s bonds, as funds hold them
Funds report holding 5 issues of Brown–Forman’s debt, $131.71M at market value — what funds hold, not the company’s total debt. Weighted-average coupon 4.34%, maturing 2028 to 2045.
Fund ownership is a subset of institutional 13F ownership — the two describe overlapping populations and must not be added together.
Every fund and institutional holder, quarter by quarter, is on the Ownership tab with a free account.
Recent filings
All filings →Each filing opens into its own statements and disclosures here.
Put this business in context.
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