Motley Fool Asset Management LLC Boosts Stake in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST)

Motley Fool Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) by 4.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 30,933 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,312 shares during the period. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Monster Beverage were worth $1,782,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Peoples Bank KS purchased a new position in shares of Monster Beverage in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Headinvest LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Monster Beverage by 34.6% in the third quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 774 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DT Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Monster Beverage during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $53,000. 72.36% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Monster Beverage Trading Up 0.4 %

NASDAQ MNST traded up $0.22 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $53.37. 4,204,562 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,386,807. The stock has a market cap of $55.54 billion, a PE ratio of 34.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.72. Monster Beverage Co. has a one year low of $47.13 and a one year high of $61.22. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $56.97 and a 200-day moving average of $55.60.

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 28th. The company reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.38. Monster Beverage had a return on equity of 20.95% and a net margin of 22.84%. The firm had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.76 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.28 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Monster Beverage Co. will post 1.81 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Monster Beverage

In other news, Director Mark J. Hall sold 659,000 shares of Monster Beverage stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.55, for a total value of $38,584,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 777,840 shares in the company, valued at $45,542,532. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 9.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MNST has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Monster Beverage from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. Truist Financial lowered Monster Beverage from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $65.00 to $46.00 in a research report on Thursday. Citigroup raised their price target on Monster Beverage from $63.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Monster Beverage from $62.00 to $63.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. Finally, HSBC cut their target price on Monster Beverage from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $61.79.

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.