Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) Shares Sold by Vanguard Group Inc.

Vanguard Group Inc. trimmed its holdings in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) by 0.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 63,635,449 shares of the company’s stock after selling 202,037 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 6.54% of Monster Beverage worth $3,344,679,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MNST. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its position in Monster Beverage by 0.7% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 39,187 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,045,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares during the last quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Monster Beverage by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 14,642 shares of the company’s stock valued at $764,000 after buying an additional 262 shares during the period. Summit Trail Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage by 51.3% during the 3rd quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 14,764 shares of the company’s stock worth $770,000 after buying an additional 5,003 shares during the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Monster Beverage by 6.7% in the 3rd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 151,364 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,897,000 after buying an additional 9,496 shares during the period. Finally, Avestar Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Monster Beverage by 6.4% in the third quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 5,386 shares of the company’s stock valued at $281,000 after acquiring an additional 326 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.36% of the company’s stock.

Monster Beverage Trading Up 0.0 %

NASDAQ MNST opened at $57.84 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $56.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 3.13 and a quick ratio of 2.51. Monster Beverage Co. has a 12 month low of $43.32 and a 12 month high of $60.13. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $51.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $52.25.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Monster Beverage from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Needham & Company LLC restated a “hold” rating on shares of Monster Beverage in a report on Friday, February 28th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $59.00 price objective on shares of Monster Beverage in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Finally, BNP Paribas decreased their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $46.00 to $45.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $55.83.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Guy Carling sold 47,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.02, for a total value of $2,585,940.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 21,993 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,210,054.86. This trade represents a 68.12 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Emelie Tirre sold 91,316 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.38, for a total transaction of $5,057,080.08. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 76,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,220,011.38. The trade was a 54.51 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 208,316 shares of company stock valued at $11,484,440. Insiders own 7.80% 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.