Insider Selling: Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) CFO Sells 10,000 Shares of Stock

Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) CFO Thomas J. Kelly sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 13th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $3,944,748.60. The trade was a 11.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Monster Beverage Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MNST opened at $51.54 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $50.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.74. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $53.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $51.06. Monster Beverage Co. has a fifty-two week low of $43.32 and a fifty-two week high of $61.22. The company has a quick ratio of 2.51, a current ratio of 3.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in MNST. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage by 13.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 27,866 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,392,000 after purchasing an additional 3,214 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in Monster Beverage by 53.8% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 4,178 shares of the company’s stock valued at $209,000 after buying an additional 1,462 shares during the period. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. lifted its position in Monster Beverage by 12.7% during the second quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 11,927 shares of the company’s stock valued at $596,000 after buying an additional 1,341 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Monster Beverage during the second quarter worth approximately $478,000. Finally, &PARTNERS increased its position in shares of Monster Beverage by 25.3% in the second quarter. &PARTNERS now owns 10,160 shares of the company’s stock worth $508,000 after acquiring an additional 2,052 shares in the last quarter. 72.36% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on MNST shares. Argus boosted their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $50.00 to $49.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 4th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. TD Cowen upped their target price on Monster Beverage from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC started coverage on Monster Beverage in a research report on Friday, December 6th. They set a “hold” rating for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $56.45.

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.