This video is part of our "Motley Fool Conversations" series, in which consumer goods editor and analyst Austin Smith and industrials editor and analyst Brendan Byrnes discuss topics across the investing world.
Coffee is one of the most traded commodities in the world, so when big trends come along that shake the dynamics of this industry, investors need to tune in. The two biggest trends to be aware of right now are single-serve brews and falling commodity prices.
The former was brought to its current zenith by Vermont-based brewer Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and it's not done growing. 35% of single-serve brewers were sold in the past six months. Unfortunately for Green Mountain, the party may be over as other companies are starting to come out with their own comparable devices, specifically frienemy Starbucks
The other must-watch trend is falling Arabica coffee prices. Arabica is the higher-quality, more expensive bean compared with robusta beans. This creates opportunity for expanding margins or lower end-prices for coffee brewers. Starbucks likely stands to benefit the most, as it was able to successfully pass along higher prices when Arabica beans recently became more expensive and can now realize higher margins as it maintains those higher price points.
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