Nebula Research & Development LLC Acquires Shares of 67,013 Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST)

Nebula Research & Development LLC bought a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 67,013 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,522,000. Monster Beverage accounts for 0.4% of Nebula Research & Development LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 25th largest position.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Sustainable Insight Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Monster Beverage during the fourth quarter valued at $1,214,000. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its stake in shares of Monster Beverage by 5.3% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage during the 4th quarter valued at about $7,090,000. Diversified Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $733,000. Finally, Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT acquired a new position in Monster Beverage in the fourth quarter worth approximately $423,000. 72.36% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on MNST shares. Morgan Stanley lifted 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. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $64.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Monster Beverage from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $62.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $57.89.

Monster Beverage Stock Performance

NASDAQ MNST opened at $58.59 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $56.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $53.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.64. 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 52-week low of $43.32 and a 52-week high of $60.34.

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 firm 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%. Equities research analysts forecast that Monster Beverage Co. will post 1.62 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Emelie Tirre sold 91,316 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.38, for a total value of $5,057,080.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 76,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,220,011.38. This trade represents a 54.51 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Thomas J. Kelly sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.27, for a total transaction of $552,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 72,273 shares in the company, valued at $3,994,528.71. This trade represents a 12.15 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 208,316 shares of company stock worth $11,484,440. Company insiders own 7.80% of the company’s stock.

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.