Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC Purchases 1,345 Shares of Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST)

Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) by 2.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 53,437 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,345 shares during the period. Monster Beverage makes up approximately 0.6% of Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Monster Beverage were worth $3,079,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MNST. Peoples Bank KS bought a new stake in Monster Beverage during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Headinvest LLC bought a new stake in Monster Beverage during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Monster Beverage during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Monster Beverage by 34.6% during the 3rd quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 774 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DT Investment Partners LLC bought a new stake in Monster Beverage during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $53,000. 72.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Monster Beverage

In other news, Director Mark J. Hall sold 659,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the director now owns 777,840 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $45,542,532. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 9.40% of the company’s stock.

Monster Beverage Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MNST traded down $0.05 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $53.55. 3,702,282 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,330,296. The company has a market cap of $55.73 billion, a PE ratio of 34.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.72. Monster Beverage Co. has a 52-week low of $47.13 and a 52-week high of $61.22. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $57.14 and a 200 day moving average of $55.57.

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 28th. The company reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.38. The firm had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.76 billion. Monster Beverage had a net margin of 22.84% and a return on equity of 20.95%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.28 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Monster Beverage Co. will post 1.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MNST has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on Monster Beverage from $64.00 to $63.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Monster Beverage from $61.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. HSBC cut their target price on Monster Beverage from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 6th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Monster Beverage from $63.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $63.11.

Monster Beverage Company Profile

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.