Zacks upgrades Monster Beverage stock to Strong Buy

Published on 10/16/2026 at 10:29 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Monster Beverage stock costs EUR 40.32 on October 16, 2026. Second-quarter sales rose 20.2 percent to USD 2.54 billion.

Rating changes and operating growth

Zacks Research upgraded Monster Beverage from hold to strong buy on October 14, 2026.
Second-quarter 2026 sales increased 20.2 percent to USD 2.54 billion.
Monster Beverage stock was trading at EUR 40.32 at 10:16 a.m. CEST on October 16, 2026 at Lang & Schwarz.

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Monster Beverage (ISIN US61174X1090) was upgraded from hold to strong buy by Zacks Research in a report dated October 14, 2026, as MarketBeat reported. Monster Beverage stock was trading at EUR 40.32 at Lang & Schwarz on October 16, 2026 at 10:16 a.m. CEST.

Zacks changes the rating

The Zacks move is the most recent analyst event in the reviewed period. The same MarketBeat report listed a Moderate Buy consensus and a USD 74.07 average target, although those figures represent the broader analyst group rather than the Zacks note itself.

What does growth mean for margins?

Monster Beverage delivered strong sales growth in the second quarter of 2026, but the margin picture was more measured. According to the company results carried by Yahoo Finance, net sales rose 20.2 percent year over year to USD 2.54 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. Net income increased 19.6 percent to USD 584.5 million, while gross margin moved from 55.7 percent to 55.9 percent.

The core Monster Energy Drinks segment grew 21.6 percent to USD 2.36 billion in the second quarter of 2026. International sales advanced 34.6 percent to USD 1.16 billion and represented 46 percent of total reported sales, compared with 41 percent in the second quarter of 2025, according to the same company release.

Three dated signals shape the picture

On August 6, 2026, Monster Beverage reported second-quarter sales of USD 2.54 billion and diluted earnings per share of USD 0.59. On October 5, 2026, Wells Fargo cut its target from USD 53.00 to USD 48.00 while keeping an overweight rating, according to MarketBeat. On October 14, 2026, Zacks Research upgraded the stock from hold to strong buy.

Growth meets a higher valuation

Monster Beverage's latest quarter combines a 20.2 percent sales increase with a gross margin of 55.9 percent. That combination explains why analyst views remain divided between continued international expansion and the need to protect profitability as operating expenses rose 24.7 percent year over year in the second quarter of 2026.

Monster Beverage stock in euros

The stock was trading at EUR 40.32 at Lang & Schwarz on October 16, 2026 at 10:16 a.m. CEST. The finance quote for the primary listing showed a market capitalization of USD 88.8 billion, with a 52-week range of USD 32.94 to USD 50.17 as of October 15, 2026.

The further course of trading is shown by the continuously updated real-time quote of Monster Beverage stock.