Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) Receives “Hold” Rating from Needham & Company LLC

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST)‘s stock had its “hold” rating reaffirmed by research analysts at Needham & Company LLC in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on MNST. Argus raised their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $59.00 price objective on shares of Monster Beverage in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. BNP Paribas decreased 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 note on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $55.63.

Monster Beverage Price Performance

Monster Beverage stock opened at $55.22 on Friday. Monster Beverage has a 52-week low of $43.32 and a 52-week high of $61.22. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $50.21 and a 200-day moving average of $51.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $53.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.47, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a quick ratio of 2.51, a current ratio of 3.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 27th. The company reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by ($0.02). Monster Beverage had a net margin of 21.66% and a return on equity of 23.31%. The company had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.80 billion. As a group, analysts predict that Monster Beverage will post 1.62 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Thomas J. Kelly sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.65, for a total transaction of $526,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 74,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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 accessible through this link. 7.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Monster Beverage

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MNST. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. grew its position in shares of Monster Beverage by 62.5% in the 4th quarter. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. now owns 528 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. 72.36% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.