Gibraltar Capital Management Inc. Buys 2,429 Shares of Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST)

Gibraltar Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) by 2.1% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 120,651 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 2,429 shares during the quarter. Monster Beverage accounts for about 2.8% of Gibraltar Capital Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Gibraltar Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Monster Beverage were worth $6,341,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MNST. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its position in shares of Monster Beverage by 109.3% in the 3rd quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 22,559,092 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,176,913,000 after purchasing an additional 11,779,162 shares in the last quarter. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. increased its position in Monster Beverage by 250.9% in the fourth quarter. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. now owns 3,468,660 shares of the company’s stock worth $178,801,000 after buying an additional 2,480,291 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in Monster Beverage by 6.9% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 33,742,390 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,760,341,000 after buying an additional 2,168,379 shares in the last quarter. Holocene Advisors LP bought a new stake in Monster Beverage in the 3rd quarter valued at $73,600,000. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P boosted its position in shares of Monster Beverage by 4.7% during the 3rd quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 27,142,970 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,416,048,000 after acquiring an additional 1,229,789 shares during the last quarter. 72.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Monster Beverage Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MNST opened at $52.13 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $50.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a fifty day moving average of $50.19 and a 200-day moving average of $51.07. 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 Co. has a twelve month low of $43.32 and a twelve month high of $61.22.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on MNST. TD Cowen upped their target price on Monster Beverage from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. BNP Paribas cut their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $46.00 to $45.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Argus raised their price target 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. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $59.00 target price on shares of Monster Beverage in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC assumed coverage on Monster Beverage in a research note on Friday, December 6th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Monster Beverage presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $55.53.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Monster Beverage news, CFO Thomas J. Kelly sold 10,000 shares of Monster Beverage stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.65, for a total value of $526,500.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 74,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,944,748.60. The trade was a 11.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 7.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.