Slant

Monster is looking to new markets for growth. It’s pushing its drinks into Latin America, which could grow 20% annually, and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, where a 10% growth rate is possible, writes HSBC analyst Carlos Laboy. The company is also looking to expand outside its typically male customer by purchasing Bang Energy—which has a largely female consumer base—out of bankruptcy, says Laboy, who initiated Monster stock with a Buy rating on Aug. 14, and assigned it a 72 dollars price target, up 26% from a recent 57.32 dollars.

“Monster has skewed heavily to male consumers, but we now see the firm developing its own new labels and acquiring brands that should support recruitment of female consumers in Monster’s largest market, the U.S.,” Laboy writes.
–Barron’s