Celsius (NASDAQ:CELH) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Needham & Company LLC Analyst Says

Key Points

• Needham raised its Celsius price target from $35 to $40 and reiterated a Buy rating, implying 33.21% upside from the share price cited. Analysts overall rate the stock “Moderate Buy,” with a consensus target of $41.76.
• Celsius beat quarterly estimates, reporting revenue of $847.2 million, up 16.8% year over year, and EPS of $0.41 versus the $0.34 consensus.
• Growth faces risks: reports say the flagship CELSIUS brand is weakening as Alani Nu drives more sales, and a class-action lawsuit alleging “healthwashing” adds potential legal and reputational exposure.

Celsius (NASDAQ:CELH - Get Free Report) had its price target lifted by equities research analysts at Needham & Company LLC from $35.00 to $40.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLC's price objective points to a potential upside of 33.21% from the stock's current price.

CELH has been the subject of a number of other reports. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered shares of Celsius from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $44.00 to $26.00 in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Celsius from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Morgan Stanley set a $42.00 price objective on shares of Celsius and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $42.00 target price on shares of Celsius in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, UBS Group set a $38.00 target price on shares of Celsius in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Celsius currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $41.76.

Celsius Stock Down 2.3%

Shares of Celsius stock opened at $30.03 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $28.76 and a 200 day moving average price of $34.25. The company has a market cap of $7.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.21, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. Celsius has a 1 year low of $23.56 and a 1 year high of $59.31.

Celsius (NASDAQ:CELH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.07. Celsius had a return on equity of 36.52% and a net margin of 4.24%. The firm had revenue of $847.23 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $800.63 million. During the same period last year, the company posted ($0.27) EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 16.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Celsius will post 1.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Celsius

In other news, CEO John Fieldly acquired 18,000 shares of Celsius stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $27.44 per share, for a total transaction of $493,920.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 956,063 shares of the company's stock, valued at $26,234,368.72. This represents a 1.92% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Damon DeSantis acquired 16,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $27.95 per share, with a total value of $447,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 2,728,187 shares in the company, valued at $76,252,826.65. This trade represents a 0.59% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders bought 66,000 shares of company stock worth $1,830,120. 2.33% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Celsius

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CELH. Heritage Family Offices LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Celsius during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Hartford Financial Management Inc. acquired a new position in Celsius in the third quarter worth about $27,000. Continuum Advisory LLC acquired a new position in Celsius in the second quarter worth about $31,000. Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new position in Celsius in the first quarter worth about $56,000. Finally, University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. lifted its stake in Celsius by 60.8% during the third quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. now owns 2,203 shares of the company's stock worth $60,000 after purchasing an additional 833 shares during the period. 60.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Celsius

Here are the key news stories impacting Celsius this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 revenue reached a record $847.2 million, up 16.8% year over year and above analysts’ $800.6 million estimate. Adjusted earnings of $0.41 per share also topped the $0.34 consensus. Celsius Q3 results
• Positive Sentiment: Alani Nu sales accelerated, supporting overall growth. Management also outlined plans to expand international sales and reorganized the business into three brand-led units, intended to sharpen execution across its portfolio. International growth and operating structure
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings beat and growth outlook are constructive, but investors still face a wide range of views on CELH’s fair value. Fair value debate
• Negative Sentiment: Reports indicate the original CELSIUS brand is sliding while Alani Nu is becoming a larger growth driver. Continued weakness in the flagship brand could raise concerns about the sustainability and balance of portfolio growth. Alani Nu and the CELSIUS brand
• Negative Sentiment: A class-action lawsuit accuses Celsius of “healthwashing.” The allegations are not established findings, but the case adds potential legal and reputational risk. Class-action lawsuit report

About Celsius

Celsius Holdings, Inc NASDAQ: CELH develops, markets and distributes functional beverages designed to support active lifestyles. Its flagship CELSIUS brand offers carbonated and non-carbonated energy drinks, including products positioned around energy, fitness and wellness. The company also markets CELSIUS Essentials, CELSIUS Vibe and powdered drink mixes, with product formulations that commonly feature ingredients such as caffeine, vitamins and other functional components.

Founded in 2004, Celsius has expanded from a niche fitness beverage business into a broader energy-drink platform.

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