Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) Shares Sold by Modus Advisors LLC

Modus Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) by 7.4% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 9,478 shares of the company’s stock after selling 762 shares during the period. Modus Advisors LLC’s holdings in Monster Beverage were worth $498,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MNST. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage by 47.6% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 20,973 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,102,000 after buying an additional 6,767 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in Monster Beverage by 84.9% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,185 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 544 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Monster Beverage by 11.6% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,363,935 shares of the company’s stock valued at $71,156,000 after purchasing an additional 141,495 shares during the last quarter. American Trust acquired a new position in shares of Monster Beverage in the third quarter valued at approximately $687,000. Finally, Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp increased its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage by 22.9% in the third quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp now owns 6,064 shares of the company’s stock valued at $316,000 after purchasing an additional 1,131 shares during the period. 72.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Monster Beverage Price Performance

Shares of MNST traded up $0.07 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $52.38. 325,010 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,056,233. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $53.42 and a 200 day simple moving average of $51.15. Monster Beverage Co. has a fifty-two week low of $43.32 and a fifty-two week high of $61.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.94 billion, a PE ratio of 33.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a quick ratio of 2.51, a current ratio of 3.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Bank of America increased their price target on Monster Beverage from $56.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Argus increased their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Needham & Company LLC started coverage on Monster Beverage in a report on Friday, December 6th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. TD Cowen increased their target price on Monster Beverage from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped 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. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Monster Beverage has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $56.30.

Insider Transactions at Monster Beverage

In other Monster Beverage 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 transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 74,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,944,748.60. The trade was a 11.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 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.