Board of the Pension Protection Fund Makes New $936,000 Investment in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST)

Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new position in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 17,800 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $936,000.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. purchased a new position in Monster Beverage during the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Quarry LP lifted its position in Monster Beverage by 152.0% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 824 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 497 shares during the last quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage by 16,085.7% during the 3rd quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 1,133 shares of the company's stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 1,126 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in Monster Beverage by 84.9% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,185 shares of the company's stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 544 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DT Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in Monster Beverage by 38.6% in the 3rd quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,386 shares of the company's stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 386 shares during the last quarter. 72.36% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Monster Beverage Stock Down 1.7 %

Shares of NASDAQ:MNST traded down $0.84 on Wednesday, hitting $49.26. 8,702,745 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,917,404. The company has a market cap of $47.91 billion, a PE ratio of 31.58, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.74. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $53.10 and a 200-day simple moving average of $51.27. Monster Beverage Co. has a 52 week low of $43.32 and a 52 week high of $61.22. 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 related news, CFO Thomas J. Kelly sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 7.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Bank of America increased their price objective on Monster Beverage from $56.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Needham & Company LLC assumed coverage on shares of Monster Beverage in a report on Friday, December 6th. They set a "hold" rating for the company. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Monster Beverage from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, BNP Paribas dropped their price objective on Monster Beverage from $46.00 to $45.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Monster Beverage has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $56.30.

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.