Intech Investment Management LLC Boosts Stock Position in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST)

Intech Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) by 49.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 109,060 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 36,111 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Monster Beverage were worth $5,448,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of MNST. LRI Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage during the first quarter worth about $26,000. Stephens Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage during the second quarter worth about $26,000. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Monster Beverage by 360.0% during the fourth quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 506 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 396 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kings Path Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.36% of the company’s stock.

Monster Beverage Trading Down 1.3 %

Shares of MNST stock opened at $51.18 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 3.41 and a quick ratio of 2.69. The company has a market cap of $53.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.19, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.74. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $49.11 and a 200-day simple moving average of $52.23. Monster Beverage Co. has a 1-year low of $43.32 and a 1-year high of $61.22.

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.45 by ($0.04). Monster Beverage had a return on equity of 22.23% and a net margin of 22.84%. The firm had revenue of $1.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.01 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.39 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Monster Beverage Co. will post 1.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on MNST. Citigroup dropped their price target on Monster Beverage from $60.00 to $54.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on Monster Beverage from $64.00 to $60.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 8th. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on Monster Beverage in a report on Monday, June 24th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $48.00 target price for the company. TD Cowen decreased their target price on Monster Beverage from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 15th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their target price on Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $51.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $55.85.

Monster Beverage 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.