UBS Group Cuts Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) Price Target to $51.00

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) had its price target decreased by UBS Group from $55.00 to $51.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. UBS Group currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on MNST. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Monster Beverage from $65.00 to $59.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on Monster Beverage from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 15th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $63.00 to $57.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 17th. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $62.00 to $60.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $66.00 to $63.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, June 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Monster Beverage presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $56.15.

Monster Beverage Stock Up 2.3 %

NASDAQ:MNST traded up $1.05 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $46.06. 14,618,892 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,446,106. The stock has a market cap of $47.98 billion, a PE ratio of 28.97, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.76. Monster Beverage has a 12 month low of $43.32 and a 12 month high of $61.22. The company has a fifty day moving average of $50.14 and a 200 day moving average of $53.83.

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by ($0.04). Monster Beverage had a return on equity of 20.74% and a net margin of 22.83%. The company had revenue of $1.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.01 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.39 earnings per share. Monster Beverage’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Monster Beverage will post 1.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Monster Beverage

In related news, Director Mark J. Hall sold 250,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.22, for a total value of $13,055,000.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 532,754 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,820,413.88. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Monster Beverage news, Director Mark J. Hall sold 250,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.22, for a total value of $13,055,000.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 532,754 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,820,413.88. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Mark Vidergauz sold 15,077 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.85, for a total transaction of $781,742.45. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 68,167 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,534,458.95. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 307,221 shares of company stock valued at $16,070,374. 7.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. LRI Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Monster Beverage during the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Stephens Consulting LLC bought a new position in Monster Beverage during the second quarter worth about $26,000. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Monster Beverage during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Monster Beverage by 360.0% in the fourth quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 506 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 396 shares during the period. Finally, Kings Path Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.36% of the company’s stock.

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.