Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages

Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) has been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the twenty-one analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $55.42.

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on MNST shares. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $56.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Argus boosted their price target on Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. UBS Group lowered their target price on Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $53.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $59.00 target price on shares of Monster Beverage in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd.

Monster Beverage Trading Down 1.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ MNST opened at $48.71 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $51.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $51.19. Monster Beverage has a 52-week low of $43.32 and a 52-week high of $61.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.22, a PEG ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a quick ratio of 2.51, a current ratio of 3.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at Monster Beverage

In other news, CFO Thomas J. Kelly sold 10,000 shares of Monster Beverage stock in a transaction on Friday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.65, for a total transaction of $526,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 74,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,944,748.60. This trade represents a 11.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 7.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Monster Beverage

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of MNST. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage by 62.5% in the fourth quarter. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. now owns 528 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 203 shares during the period. Spire Wealth Management acquired a new position in Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new position in Monster Beverage during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Quarry LP lifted its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage by 152.0% in the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 824 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 497 shares in the last quarter. 72.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Monster Beverage

Monster Beverage Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in development, marketing, sale, and distribution of energy drink beverages and concentrates in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Monster Energy Drinks, Strategic Brands, Alcohol Brands, and Other.