Diversified Trust Co Buys Shares of 13,944 Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST)

Diversified Trust Co purchased a new position in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 13,944 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $733,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MNST. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Quarry LP lifted its position in Monster Beverage by 152.0% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 824 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 497 shares during the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. boosted its stake in Monster Beverage by 141.2% during the 2nd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 854 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Monster Beverage by 16,085.7% in the third quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 1,133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 1,126 shares during the period. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage by 84.9% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,185 shares of the company’s stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 544 shares during the last quarter. 72.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MNST. TD Cowen increased their price objective on Monster Beverage from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Monster Beverage from $50.00 to $49.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 4th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Needham & Company LLC began coverage on shares of Monster Beverage in a research report on Friday, December 6th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. Finally, BNP Paribas dropped their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $46.00 to $45.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $56.30.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Monster Beverage news, CFO Thomas J. Kelly sold 10,000 shares of Monster Beverage 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 sale, the chief financial officer now 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 filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 7.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Monster Beverage Trading Up 0.1 %

NASDAQ:MNST opened at $51.60 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $50.18 billion, a PE ratio of 33.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.74. Monster Beverage Co. has a fifty-two week low of $43.32 and a fifty-two week high of $61.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 3.13 and a quick ratio of 2.51. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $53.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $51.26.

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.