Nisa Investment Advisors LLC Sells 38,476 Shares of Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST)

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST - Free Report) by 11.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 307,835 shares of the company's stock after selling 38,476 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC's holdings in Monster Beverage were worth $17,734,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MNST. Freedom Wealth Alliance LLC acquired a new position in shares of Monster Beverage during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Peoples Bank KS acquired a new position in shares of Monster Beverage during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Monster Beverage during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Ancora Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Monster Beverage during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Quarry LP increased its stake in shares of Monster Beverage by 276.1% during the 1st quarter. Quarry LP now owns 504 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares during the last quarter. 72.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on MNST. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $61.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. HSBC decreased their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 6th. Redburn Atlantic initiated coverage on shares of Monster Beverage in a research note on Wednesday, March 6th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Monster Beverage from $62.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $63.11.

Insider Transactions at Monster Beverage

In related news, Director Mark J. Hall sold 659,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 777,840 shares in the company, valued at approximately $45,542,532. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 9.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Monster Beverage Stock Performance

Shares of Monster Beverage stock traded up $0.10 on Tuesday, reaching $55.75. 3,868,698 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,223,544. The firm's 50 day moving average is $57.42 and its 200-day moving average is $55.47. Monster Beverage Co. has a one year low of $47.13 and a one year high of $61.22. The firm has a market cap of $58.02 billion, a PE ratio of 35.90, a P/E/G ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.72.

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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 the consensus estimate of $1.76 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.28 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Monster Beverage Co. will post 1.81 EPS for the current fiscal 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.