Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) Shares Gap Up on Strong Earnings

Key Points

• Beat expectations: Monster reported Q1 EPS of $0.58 vs. $0.53 expected and revenue of $2.32 billion (up 22.6% YoY), with international sales accelerating to roughly 45% of total and helping margin expansion.
• Shares jumped and analysts reacted: The stock gapped up pre-market (closed $75.97, opened $84.50, last $85.62) and traded up ~12.9% as several firms raised targets or upgraded—Citigroup to $100, Evercore to $95 and Rothschild moved to buy—leaving a consensus "Moderate Buy" average target of $86.80.
• Institutional interest and valuation: Hedge funds and institutions own about 72.36% of the stock; the company carries a market cap of $83.8B and a forward valuation near a 44.0x PE.

Shares of Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ:MNST - Get Free Report) gapped up prior to trading on Friday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $75.97, but opened at $84.50. Monster Beverage shares last traded at $85.6190, with a volume of 1,311,807 shares trading hands.

The company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.53 by $0.05. Monster Beverage had a net margin of 22.97% and a return on equity of 27.38%. The business had revenue of $2.32 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.16 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.47 EPS. Monster Beverage's revenue was up 22.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Key Stories Impacting Monster Beverage

Here are the key news stories impacting Monster Beverage this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — EPS $0.58 (vs. $0.53 est) and revenue above estimates, with strong operating and net income growth. Monster Beverage Reports 2026 First-Quarter Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: International sales acceleration — international revenue rose ~45%, now ~45% of total sales, helping overall top-line strength and margin expansion. Monster Beverage Sales Boosted by International Brands, Weaker Dollar
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and price-target raises — Evercore raised its target and reiterated an outperform/buy stance, Wells Fargo raised its target to $87 with an overweight, and Rothschild & Co Redburn moved to buy; these lifts support further upside. Evercore ISI Sticks to Its Buy Rating for Monster Beverage (MNST) Wells Fargo Raises Price Target Rothschild & Co Redburn Rating Increase
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 conference call and transcript provide management detail on channels, pricing and international momentum — useful for judging sustainability but not a new catalyst by itself. Monster Beverage Corporation (MNST) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes and market write-ups reiterate the beat and provide summaries for investors; they amplify visibility but largely echo the same results. Monster Beverage (MNST) Surpasses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently issued reports on MNST shares. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Evercore lifted their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $81.00 to $78.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday. TD Cowen reduced their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $88.00 to $80.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn raised shares of Monster Beverage from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $76.00 to $90.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $86.80.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Monster Beverage

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MNST. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in Monster Beverage by 397.9% during the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 15,201 shares of the company's stock worth $890,000 after acquiring an additional 12,148 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Monster Beverage by 247.7% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 12,986 shares of the company's stock worth $813,000 after acquiring an additional 9,251 shares during the period. Cresset Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Monster Beverage by 23.9% during the 2nd quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 6,652 shares of the company's stock worth $417,000 after purchasing an additional 1,281 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its holdings in Monster Beverage by 55.9% during the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 4,798 shares of the company's stock worth $301,000 after purchasing an additional 1,721 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Monster Beverage by 151.7% during the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 34,075 shares of the company's stock worth $2,134,000 after purchasing an additional 20,538 shares in the last quarter. 72.36% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Monster Beverage Trading Up 12.9%

The business has a fifty day moving average of $76.12 and a 200-day moving average of $75.94. The firm has a market cap of $83.84 billion, a PE ratio of 44.03, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.50.

Monster Beverage Company Profile

Monster Beverage Corporation NASDAQ: MNST is an American beverage company best known for its Monster Energy brand of energy drinks. The company's product portfolio centers on carbonated energy beverages and a range of complementary ready-to-drink offerings, including energy coffees, hydration beverages and other flavored functional drinks. Monster markets multiple sub-brands and flavor variants to address different consumer segments and consumption occasions.

Originally organized around the Hansen's Natural line of juices and sodas, the company pivoted toward the energy drink category and formally adopted the Monster Beverage name in the early 2010s to reflect its strategic focus.

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