Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.02 EPS

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.02, FiscalAI reports. Monster Beverage had a net margin of 21.65% and a return on equity of 27.76%. The business had revenue of $2.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.39 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Here are the key takeaways from Monster Beverage’s conference call:

• Monster reported record fourth-quarter results with $2.13 billion in net sales (up 17.6% YoY), operating income up 42.3% to $542.6 million, and diluted EPS rising 64.9% to $0.46.
• International momentum accelerated—sales outside the U.S. were ~42% of total and rose 26.9% (23.1% FX?adjusted), led by strong performance in EMEA and outsized gains in China (+78.9%) and India (+54.2%).
• Innovation and marketing are driving share gains—the Ultra family, the expanding rollout of Lando Norris Zero Sugar (38 EMEA/OSP markets with a U.S. rollout planned), and high?profile partnerships (McLaren F1, Call of Duty, Ducati) lifted distribution and consumer engagement.
• Management warned of ongoing cost pressure from aluminum pricing and tariffs (Midwest premium) and expects modest further cost increases into at least H1 2026 despite hedging, which could weigh on margins going forward.
• The company is investing in a digital transformation (upgrading to SAP S/4HANA, go?live Jan 1, 2028) and recorded higher G&A and stock?based comp in Q4; no shares were repurchased in the quarter and ~$500 million remains available under the buyback authorization.

Monster Beverage Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of Monster Beverage stock traded up $1.25 on Thursday, hitting $86.66. 9,459,921 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,387,082. Monster Beverage has a 12-month low of $50.93 and a 12-month high of $86.80. The company has a market cap of $84.67 billion, a PE ratio of 49.24, a PEG ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $79.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $72.26.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on MNST. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and set a $86.00 price objective (up from $83.00) on shares of Monster Beverage in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $77.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Monster Beverage from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $90.00 price target (up from $87.00) on shares of Monster Beverage in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $73.00 price objective (up from $53.00) on shares of Monster Beverage in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $80.00.

Key Headlines Impacting Monster Beverage

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

• Positive Sentiment: Earnings and revenue beat — Q4 EPS $0.51 vs. consensus $0.49 and revenue $2.13B vs. $2.04B, with revenue up ~17.6% year?over?year. This beat is the primary catalyst for the stock move. Monster Beverage (MNST) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Strong segment performance and profit — Monster Energy Drinks sales rose ~19% and Strategic Brands ~7.8%; net income of $449.2M and healthy margins/ROE reinforce quality of the beat. Monster Beverage Posts Higher Fourth-Quarter Profit as Energy-Drink Sales Rise
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/upside notes — recent coverage from broker commentary highlights upside potential and supports buying interest following the results. Royal Bank Of Canada Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) Stock Evercore Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Company release and conference call available — management commentary in the call will be important for forward guidance and cost/mix commentary. View Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Wide media coverage — multiple outlets (Investing.com, Yahoo Finance, Seeking Alpha) reiterate the beat and growth trends; helps visibility but adds limited new information. Monster Beverage earnings beat by $0.03, revenue topped estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and expectations — MNST trades at a rich multiple (PE ~44), so investors will scrutinize guidance and sustainability of volume/mix improvements; any disappointment on forward outlook could reverse gains.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Rodney C. Sacks sold 206,543 shares of Monster Beverage stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.58, for a total transaction of $15,197,433.94. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Emelie Tirre sold 30,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.31, for a total value of $2,199,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 63,939 shares in the company, valued at $4,687,368.09. This trade represents a 31.94% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 8.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Monster Beverage

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MNST. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. raised its position in Monster Beverage by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. now owns 6,134 shares of the company’s stock valued at $470,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Monster Beverage by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 13,054 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,001,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. Summit Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Summit Financial LLC now owns 4,089 shares of the company’s stock valued at $314,000 after purchasing an additional 194 shares in the last quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH lifted its stake in shares of Monster Beverage by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH now owns 28,683 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,220,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its holdings in Monster Beverage by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 47,411 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,635,000 after purchasing an additional 249 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.36% of the company’s stock.

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.