Monster Beverage Corp (MNST)

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Our Business

When this report uses the words “the Company”, “we”, “us”, and “our”, these words refer to Monster Beverage Corporation and its subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires. Based in Corona, California, Monster Beverage Corporation is a holding company and conducts no operating business except through its consolidated subsidiaries. The Company’s subsidiaries primarily develop and market energy drinks, and to a lesser extent, craft beers, flavored malt beverages (“FMBs”) and hard seltzers.

Pricing Actions

We implemented price increases in the fourth quarter of 2025 (for core brands and packages) in the United States and at various times in certain international markets during 2025 (collectively, the “Pricing Actions”). The Pricing Actions positively impacted gross profit margins in 2026 as compared to 2025.

Overview

We develop, market, sell and distribute energy drink beverages and concentrates for energy drink beverages, primarily under the following brand names:

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We also develop, market, sell and distribute craft beers, FMBs and hard seltzers under a number of brands, including Jai Alai® IPA, Florida Man® IPA, Dale’s Pale Ale®, Wild Basin® Hard Seltzers, Dallas Blonde®, Deep EllumTM IPA, Perrin Brewing Company® Black Ale, Hop Rising® Double IPA, Wasatch® Apricot Hefeweizen, The BeastTM, Beast® Tea, Blind Lemon®, Blinder LemonTM and other brands.

We have four operating and reportable segments: (i) Monster Energy® Drinks segment (“Monster Energy® Drinks”), which is primarily comprised of our Monster Energy® drinks, Reign Total Body Fuel® high performance energy drinks, Reign Storm® total wellness energy drinks, Bang Energy® drinks and FLRTTM total wellness energy drinks, (ii) Strategic Brands segment (“Strategic Brands”), which is primarily comprised of the various energy drink brands acquired from The Coca-Cola Company (“TCCC”) in 2015 as well as our affordable energy brands, Predator® and Fury®, (iii) Alcohol Brands segment (“Alcohol Brands”), which is comprised of various craft beers, FMBs and hard seltzers and (iv) Other segment (“Other”), which is comprised of certain products sold by American Fruits and Flavors LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, to independent third-party customers (the “AFF Third-Party Products”).

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During the three-months ended March 31, 2026, we continued to expand our existing drink portfolio by adding additional products to our portfolio in a number of countries and further developed our distribution markets. During the three-months ended March 31, 2026, we sold the following new products to our customers:

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In the normal course of business, we discontinue certain products and/or product lines. Those products or product lines discontinued in the three-months ended March 31, 2026, either individually or in aggregate, did not have a material adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

Our net sales were $2.35 billion for the three-months ended March 31, 2026. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had a favorable impact on net sales of approximately $89.3 million for the three-months ended March 31, 2026. Net sales on a foreign currency adjusted basis increased 22.1% for the three-months ended March 31, 2026.

The vast majority of our net sales are derived from our Monster Energy® Drinks segment. Net sales of our Monster Energy® Drinks segment were $2.19 billion for the three-months ended March 31, 2026. Net sales of our Strategic Brands segment were $126.7 million for the three-months ended March 31, 2026. Net sales of our Alcohol Brands segment were $32.7 million for the three-months ended March 31, 2026. Net sales of our Other segment were $5.3 million for the three-months ended March 31, 2026.

Our Monster Energy® Drinks segment represented 93.0% and 92.5% of our net sales for the three-months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively. Our Strategic Brands segment represented 5.4% and 5.3% of our net sales for the three-months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively. Our Alcohol Brands segment represented 1.4% and 1.9% of our net sales for the three-months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively. Our Other segment represented 0.2% and 0.3% of our net sales for the three-months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively.

Our growth strategy includes further developing our domestic markets and expanding our international business. Net sales to customers outside the United States were $1.06 billion for the three-months ended March 31, 2026, an increase of approximately $329.3 million, or 44.9% higher than net sales to customers outside of the United States of $733.2 million for the three-months ended March 31, 2025. Such sales were approximately 45% and 40% of net sales for the three-months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had a favorable impact on net sales to customers outside of the United States of approximately $89.3 million for the three-months ended March 31, 2026. Net sales to customers outside the United States, on a foreign currency adjusted basis, increased 32.7% for the three-months ended March 31, 2026.

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Our non-alcohol customers are primarily full service beverage bottlers/distributors, retail grocery and specialty chains, wholesalers, club stores, mass merchandisers, convenience and gas chains, drug stores, foodservice customers, value stores, e-commerce retailers and the military. Our alcohol customers are primarily beer distributors who in turn sell to retailers within the alcohol distribution system. Percentages of our gross billings to our various customer types for the three- months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 are reflected below. Such information includes sales made by us directly to the customer types concerned, which include our full service beverage bottlers/distributors in the United States. Such full service beverage bottlers/distributors in turn sell certain of our products to some of the same customer types listed below. We limit our description of our customer types to include only our sales to our full service bottlers/distributors without reference to such bottlers/distributors’ sales to their own customers.

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Our non-alcohol customers include Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc., Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc., Reyes Holdings, LLC, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages LLC, The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Northern New England, Inc., Swire Pacific Holdings, Inc. (USA), Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages, LLC, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Coca-Cola Hellenic, Coca-Cola FEMSA, Swire Coca-Cola (China), COFCO Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, Coca-Cola İçecek and certain other TCCC network bottlers, Asahi Soft Drinks, Co., Ltd., Wal-Mart, Inc. (including Sam’s Club), Costco Wholesale Corporation and Amazon.com, Inc.

Our alcohol customers include Reyes Beverage Group, Ben E. Keith Company, J.J. Taylor Distributing and Admiral Beverage Corporation.

A decision by any large customer to decrease amounts purchased from us or to cease carrying our products could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and consolidated results of operations.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners accounted for approximately 17% and 14% of the Company’s net sales for the three-months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively.

Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. accounted for approximately 9% and 10% of the Company’s net sales for the three-months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively.

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Results of Operations

The following table sets forth key statistics for the three-months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025.

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["\u200b","\u200b","\u200b","\u200b","\u200b","\u200b","\u200b","\u200b","\u200b","\u200b"],["\u200b","\u200b \u200b \u200b","Three-Months Ended","\u200b \u200b \u200b","Percentage","\u200b"],["(In thousands, except per share amounts)","\u200b","March 31,","\u200b","Change","\u200b"],["\u200b","\u200b \u200b \u200b","2026","\u200b \u200b \u200b","2025","\u200b \u200b \u200b","26 vs. 25","\u200b \u200b \u200b"],["Net sales1","\u200b","$","2,353,291","\u200b","$","1,854,558","\u200b","26.9","%"],["Cost of sales","\u200b","","1,059,942","\u200b","","806,596","\u200b","31.4","%"],["Gross profit*1","\u200b","","1,293,349","\u200b","","1,047,962","\u200b","23.4","%"],["Gross profit as a percentage of net sales","\u200b","","55.0","%","","56.5","%","\u200b","\u200b"],["\u200b","\u200b","\u200b","\u200b","\u200b","\u200b","\u200b","\u200b","\u200b","\u200b"],["Operating expenses","\u200b","","563,391","\u200b","","478,217","\u200b","17.8","%"],["Operating expenses as a percentage of

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