Merit Financial Group LLC Grows Stake in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST)

Merit Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) by 25.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,653 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,335 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Monster Beverage were worth $350,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Monster Beverage by 6.6% during the third quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 251,570 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,124,000 after purchasing an additional 15,611 shares in the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Monster Beverage by 6.7% in the 3rd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 151,364 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,897,000 after buying an additional 9,496 shares during the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Monster Beverage during the 3rd quarter worth $630,000. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Monster Beverage in the fourth quarter valued at $7,090,000. Finally, Diversified Trust Co purchased a new stake in Monster Beverage in the fourth quarter valued at $733,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.36% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MNST has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC started coverage on Monster Beverage in a research report on Friday, December 6th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Argus boosted their price objective on Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $53.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $61.00 to $59.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Two equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $55.42.

Insider Activity

In other Monster Beverage news, CFO Thomas J. Kelly sold 10,000 shares of the company’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 sale, the chief financial officer now owns 74,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,944,748.60. This represents a 11.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 7.80% of the company’s stock.

Monster Beverage Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ MNST opened at $48.28 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.74. Monster Beverage Co. has a 52 week low of $43.32 and a 52 week high of $61.22. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $52.24 and a 200 day moving average price of $51.23. The company has a quick ratio of 2.51, a current ratio of 3.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

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.