Red Bull may give you wings, but Monster gives you money.
Monster Energy brewer Hansen Natural (Nasdaq: HANS) just reported second-quarter results, and it's a return to good form after a disappointing first quarter. You should have seen this coming, though -- for the record, I called the steep overnight discount Hansen gave us back in May a "buy-in opportunity after months of high-flying expectations." The stock now trades nearly 18% higher. It's not rocket science, and you're welcome.
The first quarter was marred by the aftershocks of some inventory wackiness in the quarter before it, as Hansen rolled out a new inventory management system and basically scared distributors into stocking up while they still knew what they were dealing with. That effect has now worked itself out of the system, and Hansen's international ambitions have started to bear fruit.
As a result, net sales increased by 21.8% over the year-ago period to $366 million -- a tally that looks amazingly good when you put it next to the 2.5% year-over-year sales shrinkage seen in the first quarter. GAAP earnings increased 14% to $0.69 per share. 16% of gross sales poured in across international borders, up from 11% a year ago. The Monster brand is getting traction in markets like Hungary and the U.K., alongside brand-new distribution in Norway, the Balkan states, and across the Middle East. Ingredient import problems in Brazil have been settled, and production lines are now running full speed ahead there.
Red Bull has regained the upper hand in North American market growth, thanks to some aggressive pricing tactics. Still, Monster is the only brand that can stay close to the Bull, while PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), and others are falling toward irrelevance. The story is the same in the coffee and energy-drink category, except the leader there is Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX), with Monster Java close behind.
These are the trends, Sherlock. The U.S. energy drink market totaled a $1.5 billion market opportunity in the second quarter, and it's still growing. Hansen owns nearly one-third of that pie, and intends to expand with fresh sales abroad.
The buy-in opportunity is over for now. Just remember this market strength, and Hansen's ever-larger presence in it, the next time you see the stock drop 12% for no good reason. That'll be your next signal to buy in.
Is it time to take your profits on Hansen and run, or are you in for the long haul? Pour it all out in the comments below.
