Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ:MNST) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ:MNST) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-five analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $69.6190.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MNST. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $73.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Monster Beverage from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $79.00 price objective (up previously from $76.00) on shares of Monster Beverage in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $79.00 target price on shares of Monster Beverage in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Monster Beverage from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Monster Beverage

In related news, insider Guy Carling sold 38,438 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.33, for a total transaction of $2,741,782.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 21,993 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,568,760.69. This trade represents a 63.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 8.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MNST. Access Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the second quarter worth about $25,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Monster Beverage by 508.1% in the 3rd quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 377 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 315 shares during the last quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new stake in Monster Beverage in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Monster Beverage by 1,338.7% during the 2nd quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 446 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 415 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 72.36% of the company’s stock.

Monster Beverage Stock Down 0.0%

MNST stock opened at $75.03 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $69.21 and its 200-day moving average price is $64.80. The stock has a market cap of $73.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.60, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.53. Monster Beverage has a twelve month low of $45.70 and a twelve month high of $75.27.

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.08. Monster Beverage had a net margin of 20.54% and a return on equity of 27.46%. The company had revenue of $2.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.11 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.41 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 16.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Monster Beverage will post 1.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.