Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and fifteen have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $63.11.

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on MNST shares. Redburn Atlantic began coverage on Monster Beverage in a research note on Wednesday, March 6th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $63.00 to $69.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. HSBC cut their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Monster Beverage from $62.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 17th.

Insider Transactions at Monster Beverage

In related news, Director Mark J. Hall sold 659,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.55, for a total value of $38,584,450.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 777,840 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $45,542,532. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 9.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Monster Beverage

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Freedom Wealth Alliance LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Peoples Bank KS purchased a new stake in Monster Beverage in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Monster Beverage during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Monster Beverage during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. 72.36% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Monster Beverage Price Performance

Shares of MNST opened at $54.11 on Tuesday. Monster Beverage has a 1-year low of $47.13 and a 1-year high of $61.22. The company has a market capitalization of $56.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.91, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.72. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $57.38 and its 200 day simple moving average is $55.50.

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 28th. The company reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.38. Monster Beverage had a net margin of 22.84% and a return on equity of 20.95%. The firm had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.76 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.28 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Monster Beverage will post 1.81 earnings per share for the current year.

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.