Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. Boosts Stake in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST)

Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. boosted its position in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) by 250.9% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 3,468,660 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,480,291 shares during the quarter. Monster Beverage makes up 2.2% of Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc.’s holdings in Monster Beverage were worth $178,801,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage by 273.7% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 63,028 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,148,000 after purchasing an additional 46,164 shares in the last quarter. Algert Global LLC purchased a new stake in Monster Beverage during the second quarter valued at about $234,000. Quarry LP lifted its position in Monster Beverage by 152.0% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 824 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 497 shares in the last quarter. Granite Bay Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Monster Beverage during the 2nd quarter worth $2,671,000. Finally, Aristides Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Monster Beverage in the second quarter valued at approximately $849,000. 72.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on MNST shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $61.00 to $59.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 8th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Argus boosted their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $56.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $50.00 to $49.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $55.42.

Insider Buying and Selling at Monster Beverage

In other news, CFO Thomas J. Kelly sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 13th. The shares were 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 directly owns 74,924 shares in the company, valued at $3,944,748.60. The trade was a 11.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 7.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Monster Beverage Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MNST opened at $48.65 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $47.31 billion, a PE ratio of 31.19, a P/E/G ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 2.51 and a current ratio of 3.13. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $51.98 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $51.22. Monster Beverage Co. has a fifty-two week low of $43.32 and a fifty-two week high of $61.22.

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.