Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST - Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the twenty-two ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have issued a hold recommendation and thirteen have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $56.30.

Several research firms recently issued reports on MNST. Needham & Company LLC began coverage on Monster Beverage in a report on Friday, December 6th. They issued a "hold" rating on the stock. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $56.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Argus raised their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th.

Insider Activity

In other Monster Beverage news, CFO Thomas J. Kelly sold 10,000 shares of Monster Beverage stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.65, for a total value of $526,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 74,924 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,944,748.60. This trade represents a 11.78 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 7.80% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Monster Beverage

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MNST. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Monster Beverage by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 33,742,390 shares of the company's stock worth $1,760,341,000 after buying an additional 2,168,379 shares in the last quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P raised its position in Monster Beverage by 4.7% in the third quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 27,142,970 shares of the company's stock worth $1,416,048,000 after acquiring an additional 1,229,789 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its position in Monster Beverage by 109.3% in the third quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 22,559,092 shares of the company's stock worth $1,176,913,000 after acquiring an additional 11,779,162 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Monster Beverage by 3.1% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 15,728,086 shares of the company's stock valued at $817,490,000 after acquiring an additional 473,418 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in shares of Monster Beverage by 18.1% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,898,127 shares of the company's stock worth $203,365,000 after purchasing an additional 596,078 shares in the last quarter. 72.36% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Monster Beverage Trading Up 0.1 %

NASDAQ MNST traded up $0.05 on Thursday, reaching $51.60. The stock had a trading volume of 3,166,743 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,884,188. The company has a quick ratio of 2.51, a current ratio of 3.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $53.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $51.26. Monster Beverage has a 12-month low of $43.32 and a 12-month high of $61.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $50.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.74.

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.