UBS Group Cuts Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) Price Target to $53.00

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) had its price objective cut by analysts at UBS Group from $57.00 to $53.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. UBS Group’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 7.24% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on MNST. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Monster Beverage from $50.00 to $49.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Needham & Company LLC initiated coverage on shares of Monster Beverage in a report on Friday, December 6th. They set a “hold” rating for the company. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $56.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Argus upped their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, BNP Paribas cut their target price on Monster Beverage from $46.00 to $45.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Monster Beverage currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $55.47.

Monster Beverage Stock Down 0.5 %

MNST opened at $49.42 on Thursday. Monster Beverage has a 12 month low of $43.32 and a 12 month high of $61.22. 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 business’s 50-day moving average price is $52.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $51.25. The company has a market cap of $48.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.74.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Thomas J. Kelly sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.65, for a total value of $526,500.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 74,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,944,748.60. This represents a 11.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 7.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. purchased a new stake in Monster Beverage in the second quarter worth about $30,000. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Quarry LP grew its stake in shares of Monster Beverage by 152.0% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 824 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 497 shares during the last quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. increased its position in Monster Beverage by 16,085.7% during the 3rd quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 1,133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 1,126 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in 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 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.