Supplemental Annuity Collective Trust of NJ Sells 5,000 Shares of Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST)

Supplemental Annuity Collective Trust of NJ lessened its stake in shares of Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) by 27.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 13,000 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,000 shares during the quarter. Supplemental Annuity Collective Trust of NJ’s holdings in Monster Beverage were worth $749,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MNST. Peoples Bank KS bought a new stake in Monster Beverage in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Headinvest LLC bought a new position in Monster Beverage in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Monster Beverage by 34.6% during the 3rd quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 774 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 199 shares during the period. Finally, DT Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Monster Beverage in the 3rd quarter worth about $53,000. Institutional investors own 72.36% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MNST has been the topic of several research reports. Citigroup boosted their target price on Monster Beverage from $63.00 to $69.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. Redburn Atlantic began coverage on shares of Monster Beverage in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $63.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $64.00 to $63.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 26th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Monster Beverage has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $61.79.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Monster Beverage news, Director Mark J. Hall sold 659,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.55, for a total transaction of $38,584,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 777,840 shares in the company, valued at approximately $45,542,532. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 9.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Monster Beverage Stock Performance

MNST stock traded up $0.22 during trading on Friday, hitting $53.37. 4,204,562 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,386,807. Monster Beverage Co. has a 1 year low of $47.13 and a 1 year high of $61.22. The company has a 50-day moving average of $57.00 and a 200-day moving average of $55.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $55.54 billion, a PE ratio of 34.34, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.72.

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 28th. The company reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.38. Monster Beverage had a net margin of 22.84% and a return on equity of 20.95%. The company had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.76 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.28 earnings per share. Monster Beverage’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Monster Beverage Co. will post 1.81 EPS for the current year.

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.