Generali Investments Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych Grows Position in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST)

Generali Investments Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych boosted its holdings in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) by 11.1% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 27,971 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,800 shares during the period. Generali Investments Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych’s holdings in Monster Beverage were worth $1,470,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Sustainable Insight Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,214,000. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its holdings in Monster Beverage by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 154,125 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,101,000 after purchasing an additional 7,780 shares during the last quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its position in Monster Beverage by 6.6% in the 3rd quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 251,570 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,124,000 after purchasing an additional 15,611 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its stake in Monster Beverage by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 151,364 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,897,000 after buying an additional 9,496 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Miracle Mile Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Monster Beverage during the 4th quarter valued at $7,090,000. Institutional investors own 72.36% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on MNST shares. TD Cowen lifted 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. Needham & Company LLC started coverage on Monster Beverage in a report on Friday, December 6th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on Monster Beverage from $61.00 to $59.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, UBS Group cut their price objective on Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $53.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Two 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. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $55.53.

Monster Beverage Price Performance

NASDAQ MNST opened at $51.92 on Friday. Monster Beverage Co. has a 12 month low of $43.32 and a 12 month high of $61.22. The stock has a market cap of $50.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.28, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.74. The company’s 50 day moving average is $50.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $51.08. The company has a current ratio of 3.13, a quick ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 27th. The company reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) 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 the consensus estimate of $1.80 billion. Monster Beverage had a net margin of 21.66% and a return on equity of 23.31%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Monster Beverage Co. will post 1.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Thomas J. Kelly sold 10,000 shares of Monster Beverage stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief financial officer now owns 74,924 shares in the company, valued at $3,944,748.60. This trade represents a 11.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 7.80% 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.