Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) Given New $57.00 Price Target at UBS Group

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) had its target price hoisted by UBS Group from $53.00 to $57.00 in a research note published on Monday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. Citigroup increased their target price on Monster Beverage from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $59.00 target price on shares of Monster Beverage in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Argus increased their price objective on Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price objective on Monster Beverage from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $56.47.

Monster Beverage Price Performance

MNST opened at $55.35 on Monday. 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 stock has a 50-day moving average price of $50.44 and a 200-day moving average price of $51.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $53.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.48, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.74.

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

Insider Activity at Monster Beverage

In related news, CFO Thomas J. Kelly sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.65, for a total transaction of $526,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 74,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,944,748.60. This trade represents a 11.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 7.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. increased its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 203 shares in the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors own 72.36% of the company’s stock.

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.