Dueling ratings on Boston Beer

• William Blair initiates coverage on Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM) with an Outperform rating. The investment firm thinks the brewer's presence in the craft beer segment makes it an intriguing investment.
• It's a different story over at Cowen and Company where the beer stock was moved down to Underperform from Market Perform after its protracted slump. Shares of Boston Beer are down 24% YTD.
• SA contributor Quinn Foley warned in his Boston Beer breakdown earlier this week that the company could face pricing pressure in the U.S. due to new competition and a rocky economy.