Defender Capital LLC. Reduces Stock Holdings in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST)

Defender Capital LLC. cut its position in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST - Free Report) by 9.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 399,032 shares of the company's stock after selling 43,549 shares during the quarter. Monster Beverage accounts for 7.7% of Defender Capital LLC.'s portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest position. Defender Capital LLC.'s holdings in Monster Beverage were worth $20,973,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Bank of America increased 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. TD Cowen raised 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. Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $59.00 price target on shares of Monster Beverage in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Needham & Company LLC assumed coverage on shares of Monster Beverage in a research report on Friday, December 6th. They issued a "hold" rating on the stock. Finally, Argus increased their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $55.42.

Monster Beverage Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of MNST traded up $0.31 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $49.41. The stock had a trading volume of 3,025,957 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,442,359. The company has a current ratio of 3.13, a quick ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The firm has a market cap of $48.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.74. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $51.89 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $51.20. Monster Beverage Co. has a fifty-two week low of $43.32 and a fifty-two week high of $61.22.

Insider Buying and Selling

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 transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 74,924 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $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 through the SEC website. 7.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Monster Beverage 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.