Principal Financial Group Inc. Decreases Holdings in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST)

Principal Financial Group Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST - Free Report) by 6.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,277,949 shares of the company's stock after selling 85,986 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.13% of Monster Beverage worth $67,169,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Monster Beverage by 62.5% during the 4th quarter. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. now owns 528 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in Monster Beverage by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 13,578 shares of the company's stock worth $714,000 after buying an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Monster Beverage by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 6,991 shares of the company's stock worth $367,000 after acquiring an additional 213 shares in the last quarter. Accretive Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Accretive Wealth Partners LLC now owns 17,821 shares of the company's stock valued at $930,000 after acquiring an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sapient Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Monster Beverage by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Sapient Capital LLC now owns 46,082 shares of the company's stock worth $2,422,000 after acquiring an additional 228 shares in the last quarter. 72.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Monster Beverage Stock Performance

NASDAQ MNST traded up $1.85 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $53.06. 3,188,043 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,220,544. 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 company has a market cap of $51.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.74. Monster Beverage Co. has a 12-month low of $43.32 and a 12-month high of $61.22. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $50.18 and a 200 day moving average of $50.96.

Insider Activity at Monster Beverage

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 stock was sold at an average price of $52.65, for a total value 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 approximately $3,944,748.60. This trade represents a 11.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 7.80% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MNST has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on Monster Beverage from $61.00 to $59.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $52.00 to $51.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $59.00 price target on shares of Monster Beverage in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. 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. Finally, Argus lifted their target price on Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $55.53.

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.