Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) Stake Lowered by Louisiana State Employees Retirement System

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lessened its position in shares of Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST - Free Report) by 5.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 108,700 shares of the company's stock after selling 5,700 shares during the quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System's holdings in Monster Beverage were worth $5,713,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MNST. Sustainable Insight Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,214,000. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in Monster Beverage by 6.6% during the 3rd quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 251,570 shares of the company's stock worth $13,124,000 after purchasing an additional 15,611 shares in the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its position in Monster Beverage by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 151,364 shares of the company's stock worth $7,897,000 after purchasing an additional 9,496 shares in the last quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Monster Beverage during the 4th quarter worth about $7,090,000. Finally, Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage during the 3rd quarter worth about $630,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.36% of the company's stock.

Monster Beverage Stock Down 0.5 %

MNST traded down $0.27 on Friday, reaching $49.25. The company's stock had a trading volume of 6,107,015 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,898,053. The business's 50 day moving average is $50.34 and its 200 day moving average is $50.97. Monster Beverage Co. has a 1 year low of $43.32 and a 1 year high of $61.22. The stock has a market cap of $47.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 3.13 and a quick ratio of 2.51.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Monster Beverage news, CFO Thomas J. Kelly sold 10,000 shares of the firm's 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 completion of 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 7.80% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on MNST. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $52.00 to $51.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Argus increased their price target on Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on Monster Beverage from $61.00 to $59.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 8th. UBS Group reduced their target price on Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $53.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, BNP Paribas lowered their price target 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 equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $55.53.

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.