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

Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-two ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have issued a hold recommendation and thirteen have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $56.30.

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $50.00 to $49.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 4th. Bank of America upped their price target on Monster Beverage from $56.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. BNP Paribas reduced their price objective on Monster Beverage from $46.00 to $45.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 19th. TD Cowen upped their target price on Monster Beverage from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th.

Monster Beverage Price Performance

Monster Beverage stock opened at $51.60 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 2.51 and a current ratio of 3.13. Monster Beverage has a one year low of $43.32 and a one year high of $61.22. The company has a market cap of $50.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.74. The business has a fifty day moving average of $53.33 and a two-hundred day moving average of $51.26.

Insider Activity at Monster Beverage

In related news, CFO Thomas J. Kelly sold 10,000 shares of the business’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 value of $526,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 74,924 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,944,748.60. The trade was a 11.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 7.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Monster Beverage

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. One Wealth Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Monster Beverage in the fourth quarter valued at $242,000. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter worth about $207,000. Diversified Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage during the 4th quarter worth about $733,000. CWA Asset Management Group LLC increased its position in 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 purchasing an additional 213 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Monster Beverage by 47.6% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 20,973 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,102,000 after buying an additional 6,767 shares during the period. 72.36% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.