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

28 Feb 2026, 15:42 by Danessa Lincoln · The Markets Daily

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST – Get Free Report) announced its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.02, FiscalAI reports. Monster Beverage had a net margin of 22.97% and a return on equity of 28.44%. The firm had revenue of $2.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.39 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis.

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 Down 1.6%

Shares of Monster Beverage stock traded down $1.36 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $85.30. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 13,560,213 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,664,005. The business has a fifty day moving average of $80.11 and a 200 day moving average of $72.41. Monster Beverage has a 1-year low of $53.90 and a 1-year high of $87.38. The company has a market capitalization of $83.34 billion, a PE ratio of 43.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.45.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Monster Beverage

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Monster Beverage by 1,338.7% in the 2nd quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 446 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 415 shares during the period. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Monster Beverage during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Monster Beverage in the third quarter valued at $36,000. Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in Monster Beverage during the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new stake in Monster Beverage during the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. 72.36% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Monster Beverage News

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

Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and underlying momentum — MNST reported $0.51 EPS vs. $0.49 expected and $2.10B revenue vs. $2.04B expected; revenue rose ~17.6% YoY and margins expanded, driven by core energy‑drink strength and international growth. This is the primary catalyst supporting the stock. Zacks: Q4 Earnings Beat
Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher price targets — Multiple firms raised targets (examples: Jefferies and Citi to $100, Deutsche Bank/Wells Fargo/Piper Sandler to ~$94, Stifel/UBS raised targets into the low‑$90s), signaling buy/overweight views that support further upside. Representative coverage of these moves is available. TickerReport: Analyst Moves
Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call and disclosures — Transcripts and highlights detail international expansion, segment trends and management commentary that investors will review for sustainability of growth; these items clarify future guidance but are information‑driven rather than immediate catalysts. Earnings Call Transcript Yahoo: Call Highlights
Negative Sentiment: Valuation and mixed analyst views cap near‑term gains — MNST trades at a high P/E (around 48x) and some large brokers maintain neutral/hold ratings or offer targets implying limited upside (JPMorgan’s target is lower than the current price), which can pressure the stock after a run. See current market summary for valuation context. MarketBeat: Stock Summary
Negative Sentiment: High trading volume suggests profit‑taking — Volume has run above average on the news day, consistent with short‑term traders and some shareholders locking gains after the stock’s recent run toward its 12‑month high.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MNST has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Monster Beverage from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Monster Beverage from $86.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Bank of America raised their price objective on Monster Beverage from $77.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Monster Beverage from $80.00 to $83.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on Monster Beverage from $83.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $83.90.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Monster Beverage

Monster Beverage Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.