2023-06-12 07:56:26 ET
Evercore ISI analyst Robert Ottenstein said one of the notable trends in the energy drink sector is that the Monster Beverage ( MNST ) and Celsius Holdings ( NASDAQ: CELH ) brands continue to show strong growth trends even with newer brands creating plenty of buzz.
Monster Beverage ( MNST ) is observed to have recently sourced more of its volume from new consumers entering the category, which Ottenstein thinks indicates the brand may be benefitting from clean energy brands driving new consumers into the category and making energy more prevalent in coolers and displays.
The same trend is in play at Celsius ( CELH ) with the majority of its volumes from new consumers to the category with only ~16% from brand shifting.
"This skew toward growth from expanding the category is true across all clean energy brands we tracked and shows that legacy players can continue to grow in the face of new entrants. Specifically, New Wave brands, on average, source ~53% of growth from new consumers to the category and ~21% of growth from increased spend from existing consumers, with ~26% of growth from brand shifting within the category. On the other hand, legacy brands, reassuringly, also saw ~70% of growth from new consumers, with ~28% from higher spend from existing consumers and only ~3% from brand shifting."
During Q1, the Ghost energy drink brand, C4 and Celsius were the fastest growers, with new consumers contributing the most to the extra sales followed by brand shifting.
The last batch of Nielsen data showed energy drink sales were up 13.1% over the last four-week tracking period in comparison to a year ago and were 12.5% higher over the last 12 weeks. Pricing contributed to much of the energy drink growth, but volume has held up better than other foods and beverage categories amid the economic headwinds. Monster ( MNST ) had 37% market share and Red Bull 35% market share. Celsius Holdings ( CELH ) 7% and PepsiCo ( PEP ) brands claimed 5%. Bang's market share decline down to 2% amid the bankruptcy proceedings of its parent company. As a whole, energy drink sales continue to outpace soda sales and alcoholic beverage sales.
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Energy drink sales continue to impress despite economic headwinds