Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Boosts Holdings in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST)

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST - Free Report) by 4.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,503,619 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 140,488 shares during the quarter. Monster Beverage makes up 0.9% of Epoch Investment Partners Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. owned 0.36% of Monster Beverage worth $184,150,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. raised its position in Monster Beverage by 62.5% in the fourth quarter. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. now owns 528 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 203 shares during the period. Spire Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Monster Beverage in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in Monster Beverage during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. 72.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Monster Beverage Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of NASDAQ:MNST traded down $0.39 on Thursday, reaching $58.70. 1,332,873 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,051,601. The stock has a market capitalization of $57.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.64. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $56.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $53.30. The company has a current ratio of 3.13, a quick ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. Monster Beverage Co. has a 52 week low of $43.32 and a 52 week high of $60.34.

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 27th. The company reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.02). Monster Beverage had a net margin of 21.66% and a return on equity of 23.31%. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.80 billion. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Monster Beverage Co. will post 1.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Emelie Tirre sold 91,316 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.38, for a total value of $5,057,080.08. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 76,201 shares in the company, valued at $4,220,011.38. The trade was a 54.51 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Mark J. Hall sold 48,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.89, for a total transaction of $2,634,720.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 296,846 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,293,876.94. This represents a 13.92 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 208,316 shares of company stock worth $11,484,440. Company insiders own 7.80% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MNST has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Truist Financial upped their price target on Monster Beverage from $40.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on Monster Beverage from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Monster Beverage from $51.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $57.89.

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.