Americana Partners LLC Cuts Stock Holdings in Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST)

Americana Partners LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ:MNST) by 15.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 12,289 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,191 shares during the period. Americana Partners LLC’s holdings in Monster Beverage were worth $646,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sustainable Insight Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,214,000. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of Monster Beverage by 6.6% in the 3rd quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 251,570 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,124,000 after buying an additional 15,611 shares during the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Monster Beverage by 6.7% in the 3rd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 151,364 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,897,000 after buying an additional 9,496 shares during the last quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Monster Beverage in the 4th quarter worth approximately $7,090,000. Finally, Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Monster Beverage in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $630,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.36% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on MNST shares. Argus lifted their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Needham & Company LLC initiated coverage on shares of Monster Beverage in a research report on Friday, December 6th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $59.00 target price on shares of Monster Beverage in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $57.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, BNP Paribas dropped their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $46.00 to $45.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $55.53.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Thomas J. Kelly sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.65, for a total transaction of $526,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 74,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,944,748.60. This represents a 11.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 7.80% of the company’s stock.

Monster Beverage Trading Down 0.5 %

NASDAQ MNST opened at $49.25 on Tuesday. Monster Beverage Co. has a 12 month low of $43.32 and a 12 month high of $61.22. The company has a 50-day moving average of $50.34 and a 200-day moving average of $50.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 3.13 and a quick ratio of 2.51. The company has a market cap of $47.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.74.

Monster Beverage 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.