Celsius Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:CELH)

Key Points

• Unusual options activity: Traders bought 61,932 call options on CELH — roughly a 189% increase vs. the typical daily call volume — signaling heavy bullish or speculative positioning.
• Earnings beat and market reaction: Celsius reported Q1 2026 EPS of $0.41 vs $0.29 and revenue of $782.6M (up ~137.7% YoY), and shares rose to $34.66 on ~19.5M volume (vs. avg 6.11M).
• Institutional backing but valuation risk: About 60.95% of the stock is institutionally owned with large new stakes from Norges Bank, MFS, Westfield and BNP Paribas; analysts have a "Moderate Buy" consensus with a $64.21 average target, but CELH carries a high P/E (~139)

Celsius Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CELH - Get Free Report) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Traders bought 61,932 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 189% compared to the typical daily volume of 21,431 call options.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Celsius

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Celsius during the fourth quarter valued at about $140,803,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA purchased a new stake in Celsius during the fourth quarter valued at about $115,321,000. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new stake in Celsius during the fourth quarter valued at about $70,632,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its stake in Celsius by 389.1% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,713,170 shares of the company's stock valued at $98,490,000 after buying an additional 1,362,867 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Scopus Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in Celsius during the second quarter valued at about $59,382,000. 60.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CELH has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. TD Cowen decreased their price target on shares of Celsius from $66.00 to $55.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on shares of Celsius from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $64.00 price target on shares of Celsius in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Celsius from $65.00 to $60.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of Celsius from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $65.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Celsius presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $64.21.

Celsius Stock Performance

Shares of Celsius stock traded up $1.86 on Thursday, reaching $34.66. 19,506,916 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,110,144. The firm has a market cap of $8.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 138.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.95. Celsius has a 1-year low of $31.80 and a 1-year high of $66.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 1.68. The company's 50-day moving average is $38.91 and its two-hundred day moving average is $45.31.

Celsius (NASDAQ:CELH - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.12. Celsius had a net margin of 4.29% and a return on equity of 37.68%. The firm had revenue of $782.62 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $763.08 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.18 EPS. Celsius's revenue was up 137.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Celsius will post 1.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting Celsius

Here are the key news stories impacting Celsius this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reported Q1 2026 results that beat expectations: EPS $0.41 vs $0.29 est and revenue $782.6M vs $763.1M est, with revenue up ~137.7% YoY — fundamentals that support upside momentum. Celsius Holdings Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability metrics were solid: return on equity ~37.7% and positive net margin (4.29%), signaling improving unit economics as scale grows. Zacks: CELH Surpasses Q1 Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call, slide deck and transcript are available for investors to review guidance, channel progress and margins — useful for confirming management commentary behind the beat. Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn initiated coverage with a "neutral" rating and $47 price target (implies upside from recent levels but not an outright buy), which may attract attention but is not a bullish endorsement. Benzinga coverage note
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading activity is elevated (volume well above average) and management materials are posted (press release, slide deck), which can amplify intraday moves as investors digest details. MarketBeat: Earnings and Materials
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and growth expectations remain a risk: CELH carries a high P/E (~136) and recent commentary highlights a valuation reassessment after prior share weakness — investors may be taking profits or remaining cautious despite the beat. Yahoo Finance: Valuation Reassessment

About Celsius

Celsius Holdings, Inc is an American beverage company known for its line of fitness and energy drinks formulated to support active lifestyles. The company's flagship product, the Celsius® brand, features beverages enhanced with ingredients such as green tea extract, guarana seed extract and essential vitamins, positioned as a functional alternative to traditional energy drinks. These products are designed to deliver a blend of ingredients that support metabolism and sustained energy without high sugar content or artificial preservatives.

In addition to its core carbonated drink portfolio, Celsius has expanded its offerings to include powder mixes and non-carbonated ready-to-drink variants, catering to consumer preferences around taste, convenience and nutritional needs.

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