Monster Beverage Corp (MNST)

ITEM 7.MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is provided as a supplement to – and should be read in conjunction with – our financial statements and the accompanying notes (“Notes”) included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current expectations, estimates and projections about our business and operations. Our actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated and expressed in such forward-looking statements. See “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors.”

This overview provides our perspective on the individual sections of MD&A. MD&A includes the following sections:

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Pricing Actions

We implemented price increases (i) effective November 1, 2024 (for core brands and packages) and April 1, 2023 (for limited pack sizes) in the United States, and (ii) at various times in certain international markets during 2024 and 2023 (collectively, the “Pricing Actions”). The Pricing Actions positively impacted gross profit margins in 2024 as compared to 2023.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of the date of this filing, we expect to maintain sufficient liquidity as we manage through the current environment as described in the “Liquidity and Capital Resources” section below.

Our Business

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, Nasty Beast® Hard Tea and a host of other brands.

We also develop, market, sell and distribute still and sparkling waters under the Monster Tour Water® brand name.

Our net sales of $7.49 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024 represented record annual net sales. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on net sales of approximately $247.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Net sales on a foreign currency adjusted basis increased 8.4% for the year ended December 31, 2024.

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The vast majority of our net sales are derived from our Monster Energy® Drinks segment. Our Monster Energy® Drinks segment represented 91.6% and 91.8% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Our Strategic Brands segment represented 5.8% and 5.3% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Our Alcohol Brands segment represented 2.3% and 2.6% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Our Other segment represented 0.3% of our net sales for both years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on net sales in the Monster Energy® Drinks segment of approximately $210.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on net sales in the Strategic Brands segment of approximately $37.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Our growth strategy includes further developing our domestic markets, expanding our international business and growing our business into new sectors, such as the alcohol beverage sector. Net sales to customers outside the United States amounted to $2.96 billion and $2.71 billion for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Such sales were approximately 40% and 38% of net sales for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on net sales to customers outside of the United States of approximately $247.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Net sales to customers outside the United States, on a foreign currency adjusted basis, increased 18.5% for the year ended December 31, 2024.

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 years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 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 results of operations.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners accounted for approximately 14%, 13% and 13% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. accounted for approximately 10%, 10% and 11% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Reyes Holdings, LLC accounted for approximately 9% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.

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We continue to incur expenditures in connection with the development and introduction of new products and flavors.

Value Drivers of our Business

We believe that the key value drivers of our business include the following:

We believe that, subject to increases in the costs of certain raw materials being contained, these value drivers, when implemented and/or achieved in the United States and internationally, will result in: (1) improving or maintaining our product gross profit margins; (2) reducing our expenses as a percentage of net operating revenues; and (3) enhancing our cost of capital. The ultimate measure of success is and will be reflected in our current and future results of operations.

Net sales, gross profit, operating income, net income and net income per share represent key measurements of the above value drivers. These measurements will continue to be a key management focus in 2025 and beyond (See “Part II, Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Results of Operations”).

As of December 31, 2024, the Company had working capital of $2.54 billion compared to $4.43 billion as of December 31, 2023. The decrease in working capital was primarily the result of the decrease in cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments related to treasury stock repurchases for the year ended December 31, 2024. For the year ended December 31, 2024, our net cash provided by operating activities was approximately $1.93 billion as compared to $1.72 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. Principal uses of cash flows in 2024 were purchases of treasury stock and purchases of real property, property and equipment. These principal uses of cash flows are expected to be and remain our principal recurring use of cash and working capital funds in the future (See “Part II, Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Liquidity and Capital Resources”).

Opportunities, Challenges and Risks

Looking forward, our management has identified certain challenges and risks for the beverage industry and the Company, including our significant commercial relationship with TCCC and TCCC’s status as a significant stockholder of the Company, in each case as described above under “Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors.”

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In addition, legislation has been proposed and/or adopted at the U.S., state, county and/or municipal level and proposed and/or adopted in certain foreign jurisdictions to restrict the sale of energy and alcohol drinks (including prohibiting the sale of energy and/or alcohol drinks at certain establishments or pursuant to certain governmental programs), limit caffeine and/or alcohol content, require certain product labeling disclosures and/or warnings, impose taxes, limit product sizes or impose age restrictions for the sale of energy and/or alcohol drinks. In addition, articles critical of the caffeine content in energy drinks and their perceived benefits, or alcohol drinks and their misuse or abuse, as well as articles indicating certain health risks of energy and alcohol drinks have been published. The proposal and/or adoption of such legislation and the publication of such articles, or the future proposal and/or adoption of similar legislation or publication of similar articles, may adversely affect our Company.

In addition, uncertainty and/or volatility in our domestic and/or our international economic markets could negatively affect both the stability of our industry and our Company. Furthermore, our growth strategy includes expanding our international business, which exposes us to risks inherent in conducting international operations, including the risks associated with foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.

Consumer discretionary spending also represents a challenge to the successful marketing and sale of our products.

Increases in consumer and regulatory awareness of the health problems arising from obesity and inactive lifestyles as well as alcohol consumption continue to represent a challenge.

We recognize that obesity and alcohol abuse and misuse are complex and serious public health problems. Our commitment to consumers begins with our broad product line and a wide selection of diet, light and low calorie beverages within our product lines. We continuously strive to meet changing consumer needs through beverage innovation, choice and variety. (See “Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors”).

Our historical success is attributable, in part, to our introduction of different and innovative energy beverages which have been positively accepted by consumers. Our future success will depend, in part, upon our continued ability to develop and introduce different and innovative beverages that meet consumer preferences, although there can be no assurance of our ability to do so. In order to retain and expand our market share, we must continue to develop and introduce different and innovative beverages and be competitive in the areas of price, quality, method of distribution, brand image and intellectual property protection. The beverage industry is subject to changing consumer preferences that may adversely affect us if we misjudge such preferences.

In addition, other key challenges and risks that could impact our Company’s future financial results include, but are not limited to:

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See “Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors” for additional information about risks and uncertainties facing our Company.

We believe that the following opportunities exist for us:

Results of Operations

This section of the Annual Report on Form 10-K generally discusses 2024 and 2023 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2024 and 2023. A detailed discussion of 2022 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022 that are not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

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The following table sets forth key statistics for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

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1Includes $39.9 million, $40.0 million and $40.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively, related to the recognition of deferred revenue.

*Gross profit may not be comparable to that of other entities since some entities include all costs associated with their distribution process in cost of sales, whereas others exclude certain costs and instead include such costs within another line item such as operating expenses. We include out-bound freight and warehouse costs in operating expenses rather than in cost of sales.

Net Sales

Net sales were $7.49 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of approximately $352.7 million, or 4.9% higher than net sales of $7.14 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. Net sales increased primarily due to increased worldwide sales by volume of our Monster Energy® brand energy drinks as a result of increased consumer demand as well as due to the Pricing Actions. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on net sales of approximately $247.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Net sales on a foreign currency adjusted basis increased 8.4% for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Net sales were $2.77 billion and $2.53 billion for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, in EMEA, Asia Pacific (including Oceania), Latin America and the Caribbean. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on net sales to customers in EMEA, Asia Pacific (including Oceania), Latin America and the Caribbean of approximately $245.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Net sales on a foreign currency adjusted basis in EMEA, Asia Pacific (including Oceania), Latin America and the Caribbean increased 19.2% for the year ended December 31, 2024.

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Net sales for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment were $6.86 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of approximately $309.5 million, or 4.7% higher than net sales of $6.56 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. Net sales for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment increased primarily due to increased worldwide sales by volume of our Monster Energy® brand energy drinks as a result of increased consumer demand as well as due to the Pricing Actions. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on net sales for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment of approximately $210.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Net sales for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment on a foreign currency adjusted basis increased 7.9% for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Net sales for the Strategic Brands segment were $432.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of approximately $55.6 million, or 14.8% higher than net sales of $376.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Net sales for the Strategic Brands segment increased primarily due to increased worldwide sales by volume of our Burn®, Predator®, NOS® and Fury® brand energy drinks as a result of increased consumer demand. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on net sales of approximately $37.1 million for the Strategic Brands segment for the year ended December 31, 2024. Net sales for the Strategic Brands segment on a foreign currency adjusted basis increased 24.6% for the year ended December 31, 2024. Net sales of concentrates within the Strategic Brands segment tend to have more pronounced fluctuations from period to period as compared to net sales of our finished goods within the Monster Energy® Drinks segment primarily as a result of bottler production schedules.

Net sales for the Alcohol Brands segment were $172.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of approximately $12.5 million, or 6.8% lower than net sales of $184.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in net sales for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily due to decreased sales by volume of craft beers.

Net sales for the Other segment were $23.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of approximately $0.1 million, or 0.3% higher than net sales of $23.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Case sales for our energy drink products, in 192-ounce case equivalents, were 846.7 million cases for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of approximately 77.4 million cases or 10.1% higher than case sales of 769.2 million cases for the year ended December 31, 2023. The overall average net sales per case for our energy drink products (excluding net sales of Alcohol Brands and Other segments) decreased to $8.62 for the year ended December 31, 2024, which was 4.4% lower than the average net sales per case of $9.01 for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in overall average net sales per case for our energy drink products for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to higher promotional allowances as a percentage of net sales as well as geographical/product sales mix.

Case sales for our craft beers, FMBs and hard seltzers in 192-ounce equivalents, were 12.5 million cases for the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of approximately 0.7 million cases or 5.0% lower than case sales of 13.1 million cases for the year ended December 31, 2023. Barrel sales for our craft beers, FMBs and hard seltzers in 31 U.S. gallon equivalents, were 0.60 million barrels for the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of approximately 0.03 million barrels or 5.0% lower than barrel sales of 0.64 million barrels for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Gross Profit

Gross profit was $4.05 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of approximately $254.7 million, or 6.7% higher than the gross profit of $3.79 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in gross profit was primarily the result of the increase in net sales.

Gross profit as a percentage of net sales increased to 54.0% for the year ended December 31, 2024 from 53.1% for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily the result of the Pricing Actions, decreased freight-in costs and decreased aluminum can costs, partially offset by production inefficiencies.

Operating Expenses

Total operating expenses were $2.12 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of approximately $277.7 million, or 15.1% higher than total operating expenses of $1.84 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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Operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 included impairment charges of $138.8 million related to the Alcohol Brands segment (the “Alcohol Impairment Charges”). The Alcohol Impairment Charges were primarily the result of operating and financial performance not meeting projections due in part to challenges in the category, as well as a decrease in projected ongoing operating and financial performance. The Alcohol Impairment Charges relate primarily to goodwill and to certain other indefinite lived intangible assets as well as property and equipment.

Additionally, the increase in operating expenses was primarily due to increased general and administrative expenses of $110.0 million (primarily impairment charges related to the Alcohol Brands segment), increased selling and marketing expenses of $80.5 million (primarily sponsorships and endorsements), increased payroll expenses of $68.7 million and increased distribution expenses (including storage and warehouse) of $18.5 million.

Operating expenses as a percentage of net sales for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 were 28.3% and 25.8%, respectively.

Operating Income

Operating income was $1.93 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of approximately $23.1 million, or 1.2% lower than operating income of $1.95 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. Operating income as a percentage of net sales decreased to 25.8% for the year ended December 31, 2024 from 27.4% for the year ended December 31, 2023. Operating income for the year ended December 31, 2024 decreased primarily due to the Alcohol Impairment Charges partially offset by an increase in gross profit.

Operating income was $536.3 million and $409.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, for our operations in EMEA, Asia Pacific (including Oceania), Latin America and the Caribbean.

Operating income for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment, exclusive of corporate and unallocated expenses, was $2.46 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of approximately $123.7 million, or 5.3% higher than operating income of $2.34 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in operating income for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment was primarily the result of a $233.4 million increase in gross profit.

Operating income for the Strategic Brands segment, exclusive of corporate and unallocated expenses, was $233.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of approximately $26.6 million, or 12.8% higher than operating income of $207.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in operating income for the Strategic Brands segment was primarily the result of a $35.5 million increase in gross profit.

Operating loss for the Alcohol Brands segment, exclusive of corporate and unallocated expenses, was $200.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of approximately $119.2 million, or 146.9% higher than operating loss of $81.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in the operating loss for the Alcohol Brands segment for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily the result of the Alcohol Impairment Charges.

Operating income for the Other segment, exclusive of corporate and unallocated expenses, was $4.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of approximately $1.1 million, or 30.4% higher than operating income of $3.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in operating income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily the result of the increase in gross profit.

Interest and Other Income (Expense), net

Interest and other income (expense), net, was $59.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to interest and other income (expense), net, of $115.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Foreign currency transaction gains (losses) were ($26.4) million and ($60.2) million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Interest income was $115.0 million and $130.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The decrease in interest income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily related to lower short- and long-term investment balances as a result of treasury stock repurchases made during the year ended December 31, 2024. Interest expense was $27.9 million and $0.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Interest and other income (expense), net included a gain on transaction of $45.4 million related to the acquisition of Bang Energy (“Bang Transaction Gain”) for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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Provision for Income Taxes

Provision for income taxes was $480.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $42.9 million, or 9.8% higher than the provision for income taxes of $437.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The effective combined federal, state and foreign tax rate was 24.1% and 21.2% for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The increase in the effective tax rate was primarily attributable to a decrease in the stock-based compensation deduction for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Net Income

Net income was $1.51 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of $121.9 million, or 7.5% lower than net income of $1.63 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in net income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily due to the Alcohol Impairment Charges.

Key Business Metrics

We use certain key metrics and financial measures not prepared in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) to evaluate and manage our business. For a further discussion of how we use key metrics and certain non-GAAP financial measures, see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Key Metrics” below.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Key Metrics

Gross Billings**

Gross billings were $8.74 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of approximately $506.0 million, or 6.1% higher than gross billings of $8.23 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on gross billings of approximately $246.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Gross billings on a foreign currency adjusted basis increased 9.1% for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Gross billings for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment were $8.04 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of approximately $452.1 million, or 6.0% higher than gross billings of $7.59 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. Gross billings for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment increased primarily due to increased worldwide sales by volume of our Monster Energy® brand energy drinks as a result of increased consumer demand as well as due to the Pricing Actions. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on gross billings for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment of approximately $209.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Gross billings for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment on a foreign currency adjusted basis increased 8.7% for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Gross billings for the Strategic Brands segment were $490.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $65.5 million, or 15.4% higher than gross billings of $425.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Gross billings for the Strategic Brands segment increased primarily due to increased sales by volume of our Burn®, Predator®, NOS® and Fury® brand energy drinks. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on gross billings in the Strategic Brands segment of approximately $37.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Gross billings for the Strategic Brands segment on a foreign currency adjusted basis increased 24.2% for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Gross billings for the Alcohol Brands segment were $176.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of $11.8 million, or 6.3% lower than gross billings of $188.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in gross billings for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily due to decreased sales by volume of craft beers.

Gross billings for the Other segment were $23.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $0.2 million, or 0.7% higher than gross billings of $23.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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Promotional allowances, commissions and other expenses, as described in the footnote below, were $1.28 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $153.2 million, or 13.6% higher than promotional allowances, commissions and other expenses of $1.13 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. Promotional allowances as a percentage of gross billings were 14.7% and 13.7% for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

**Gross billings represent amounts invoiced to customers net of cash discounts, returns and excise taxes. Gross billings are used internally by management as an indicator of and to monitor operating performance, including sales performance of particular products, salesperson performance, product growth or declines and is useful to investors in evaluating overall Company performance. The use of gross billings allows evaluation of sales performance before the effect of any promotional items, which can mask certain performance issues. We therefore believe that the presentation of gross billings provides a useful measure of our operating performance. The use of gross billings is not a measure that is recognized under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net sales, which is determined in accordance with GAAP, and should not be used alone as an indicator of operating performance in place of net sales. Additionally, gross billings may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies, as gross billings has been defined by our internal reporting practices. In addition, gross billings may not be realized in the form of cash receipts as promotional payments and allowances may be deducted from payments received from certain customers.

The following table reconciles the non-GAAP financial measure of gross billings with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure of net sales:

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***Although the expenditures described in this line item are determined in accordance with GAAP and meet GAAP requirements, the presentation thereof does not conform to GAAP presentation requirements. Additionally, our definition of promotional and other allowances may not be comparable to similar items presented by other companies. Promotional and other allowances for our energy drink products primarily include consideration given to our non-alcohol bottlers/distributors or retail customers including, but not limited to the following: (i) discounts granted off list prices to support price promotions to end-consumers by retailers; (ii) reimbursements given to our bottlers/distributors for agreed portions of their promotional spend with retailers, including slotting, shelf space allowances and other fees for both new and existing products; (iii) our agreed share of fees given to bottlers/distributors and/or directly to retailers for advertising, in-store marketing and promotional activities; (iv) our agreed share of slotting, shelf space allowances and other fees given directly to retailers, club stores and/or wholesalers; (v) incentives given to our bottlers/distributors and/or retailers for achieving or exceeding certain predetermined sales goals; (vi) discounted or free products; (vii) contractual fees given to our bottlers/distributors related to sales made by us direct to certain customers that fall within the bottlers’/distributors’ sales territories; and (viii) certain commissions paid based on sales to our bottlers/distributors. The presentation of promotional and other allowances facilitates an evaluation of their impact on the determination of net sales and the spending levels incurred or correlated with such sales. Promotional and other allowances for our energy drink products constitute a material portion of our marketing activities. Our promotional allowance programs for our energy drink products with our numerous bottlers/distributors and/or retailers are executed through separate agreements in the ordinary course of business. These agreements generally provide for one or more of the arrangements described above and are of varying durations, ranging from one week to one year. The primary drivers of our promotional and other allowance activities for our energy drink products for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 were (i) to increase sales volume and trial, (ii) to address market conditions, and (iii) to secure shelf and display space at retail. Promotional and other allowances for our Alcohol Brands segment primarily include price promotions where permitted.

Sales

The table set forth below discloses selected quarterly data regarding sales for the past three years. Data from any one or more quarters is not necessarily indicative of annual results or continuing trends.

Sales of our energy drinks are expressed in unit case volume. A “unit case” means a unit of measurement equal to 192 U.S. fluid ounces of finished beverage (24 eight-ounce servings). Unit case volume means the number of unit cases (or unit case equivalents) of finished products or concentrates, as if converted into finished products, sold by us.

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Our quarterly results of operations reflect seasonal trends that are primarily the result of increased demand in the warmer months of the year. Beverage sales tend to be lower during the first and fourth quarters of each calendar year. However, our experience with our energy drink products suggests they are less seasonal than the seasonality expected from traditional beverages. In addition, our continued growth internationally may further reduce the impact of seasonality on our business. Quarterly fluctuations may also be affected by other factors including the introduction of new products, the opening of new markets where temperature fluctuations are more pronounced, the addition of new bottlers/distributors, changes in the sales mix of our products and changes in and/or increased advertising and promotional expenses. (See “Part I, Item 1 – Business – Seasonality”).

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1Excludes Alcohol Brands segment and Other segment net sales.

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The following represents energy drink case sales by segment for the years ended December 31:

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1Excludes Alcohol Brands segment and Other segment net sales.

Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on both net sales and the overall average net sales per case for the year ended December 31, 2024.

The following represents case sales for our craft beers, FMBs and hard seltzers, in 192-ounce equivalents, for the years ended December 31:

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1For the year ended December 31, 2022, effectively from February 17, 2022 to December 31, 2022.

Inflation

Inflation had an impact on our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to domestic inflation as well as inflation related local currency price increases in certain international markets. Inflation did not have a significant impact on our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023. Inflation had a negative impact on our results of operations, leading to increased cost of sales and operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022. To mitigate the impact of inflation, we implemented the Pricing Actions.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Cash and cash equivalents. As of December 31, 2024, we had $1.53 billion in cash and cash equivalents. Of our $1.53 billion of cash and cash equivalents held at December 31, 2024, $1.07 billion was held by our foreign subsidiaries.

Long-term debt. In May 2024, the Company entered into a credit agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and certain other lenders, which provides for senior unsecured credit facilities in an aggregate principal amount of $1.50 billion (collectively, the “Credit Facilities”). The Credit Facilities consist of a $750.0 million term loan (the “Term Loan”) and up to $750.0 million in multicurrency revolving loan commitments (the “Revolving Credit Facility”). The Term Loan matures May 2027, and the Revolving Credit Facility matures May 2029. Borrowings under the Credit Facilities may be repaid at any time during the term of the Credit Facilities and, in the case of the Revolving Credit Facility, may be reborrowed prior to the maturity date. As of December 31, 2024, borrowings of $375.0 million remained outstanding on the Term Loan. As of February 27, 2025, borrowings of $225.0 million remained outstanding on the Term Loan. As of December 31, 2024, the Revolving Credit Facility had remaining availability of $750.0 million.

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We believe that cash available from operations, including our cash resources and access to credit, will be sufficient for our working capital needs, including purchase commitments for raw materials and inventory, increases in accounts receivable, payments of tax liabilities, expansion and development requirements, purchases of capital assets, purchases of equipment, purchases of real property and purchases of shares of our common stock, through at least the next 12 months. Based on our current plans, capital expenditures (exclusive of common stock repurchases) are likely to be less than $500.0 million through December 31, 2025. However, future business opportunities may cause a change in this estimate.

Purchases of inventories, increases in accounts receivable and other assets, acquisition of property and equipment (including real property, personal property, plant and manufacturing equipment, and coolers), leasehold improvements, advances for or the purchase of equipment for our bottlers, acquisition and maintenance of trademarks, payments of accounts payable, income taxes payable and purchases of our common stock are expected to remain our principal recurring use of cash.

The following summarizes our cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands):

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Cash flows provided by operating activities. Cash provided by operating activities was $1.93 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared with cash provided by operating activities of $1.72 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, cash provided by operating activities was primarily attributable to net income earned of $1.51 billion and adjustments for certain non-cash expenses, consisting of $127.1 million impairment of goodwill and other intangibles, $91.0 million of stock-based compensation, $80.4 million of depreciation and amortization, $13.5 million of non-cash lease expense and $8.2 million impairment of property and equipment. For the year ended December 31, 2024, cash provided by operating activities also increased due to a $211.5 million decrease in inventories, an $18.4 million increase in accrued liabilities, a $13.4 million increase in other liabilities, a $9.7 million increase in accrued promotional allowances, a $9.4 million increase in income taxes payable, a $9.0 million decrease in prepaid expenses and other assets, a $5.9 million increase in accrued compensation and a $3.1 million decrease in prepaid income taxes. For the year ended December 31, 2024, cash used in operating activities was primarily attributable to a $93.9 million increase in accounts receivable, a $61.5 million decrease in accounts payable and a $17.4 million decrease in deferred revenue.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, cash provided by operating activities was primarily attributable to net income earned of $1.63 billion and adjustments for certain non-cash expenses, consisting of $68.9 million of depreciation and amortization, $68.8 million of stock-based compensation, $38.7 million loss on impairment of intangibles, $9.0 million of non-cash lease expense and $4.3 million loss on impairment of property and equipment, partially offset by the $45.4 million Bang Transaction Gain. For the year ended December 31, 2023, cash provided by operating activities also increased due to a $112.8 million increase in accounts payable, a $23.0 million increase in other liabilities, a $13.4 million increase in accrued compensation, an $8.4 million increase in accrued promotional allowances, a $7.9 million decrease in inventories and a $2.0 million decrease in deferred income taxes. For the year ended December 31, 2023, cash used in operating activities was primarily attributable to a $163.2 million increase in accounts receivable, a $24.5 million decrease in deferred revenue, an $18.8 million increase in prepaid income taxes, a $10.4 million decrease in accrued liabilities and a $10.2 million increase in prepaid expenses and other assets.

Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities. Net cash provided by investing activities was $733.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to cash used in investing activities of $193.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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For both the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, cash provided by investing activities was primarily attributable to sales of available-for-sale investments. For both the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, cash used in investing activities was primarily attributable to purchases of available-for-sale investments. For the year ended December 31, 2023, cash used in investing activities included $363.4 million related to the acquisition of Bang Energy. To a lesser extent, for both the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, cash used in investing activities also included the acquisition of real property, fixed assets consisting of vans and promotional vehicles, coolers and other equipment to support our marketing and promotional activities, production equipment, furniture and fixtures, office and computer equipment, computer software, equipment used for sales and administrative activities, certain leasehold improvements, improvements to real property as well as the acquisition, defense and maintenance of trademarks. We expect to continue to use a portion of our cash in excess of our requirements for operations to purchase short-term and long-term investments, leasehold improvements, the acquisition of capital equipment (specifically, vans, trucks and promotional vehicles, coolers, other promotional equipment, merchandise displays, warehousing racks as well as items of production equipment required to produce certain of our existing and/or new products), to develop our brand in international markets and for other corporate purposes. From time to time, we may also use cash to purchase additional real property related to our beverage business and/or acquire compatible businesses.

Cash flows used in financing activities. Cash used in financing activities was $3.33 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to cash used in financing activities of $542.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The cash flows used in financing activities for both the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was primarily the result of the repurchases of our common stock. In addition, the cash flows used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2024, were attributable to repayments on the Credit Facilities. The cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily attributable to borrowings under the Credit Facilities and, to a lesser extent, the issuance of our common stock under our stock-based compensation plans. The cash flows provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily attributable to the issuance of our common stock under our stock-based compensation plans.

The following represents a summary of the Company’s contractual commitments and related scheduled maturities as of December 31, 2024:

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1Contractual obligations include our obligations related to sponsorships and other commitments.

2Purchase commitments include obligations made by us and our subsidiaries to various suppliers for raw materials used in the production of our products. These obligations vary in terms but are generally satisfied within one year.

In addition, approximately $2.6 million of unrecognized tax benefits have been recorded as liabilities as of December 31, 2024. It is expected that the amount of unrecognized tax benefits will not significantly change within the next 12 months. As of December 31, 2024, we had $0.7 million of accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits.

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Accounting Policies and Pronouncements

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP. GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in our consolidated financial statements. Critical accounting estimates are those that management believes are the most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results and require the most difficult, subjective or complex judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain and that have had, or are reasonably likely to have, a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. Judgments and uncertainties may result in materially different amounts being reported under different conditions or using different assumptions. See “Part II, Item 8 – Financial Statements and Supplementary Data – Note 1 – Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” for a summary of our significant accounting policies.

The following summarizes our most significant critical accounting estimates:

Goodwill – The Company records goodwill when the consideration paid for an acquisition exceeds the fair value of net tangible and intangible assets acquired, including related tax effects. Goodwill is not amortized; instead, goodwill is tested for impairment on an annual basis, or more frequently if the Company believes indicators of impairment exist. The Company first assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If the Company reasonably determines that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value is less than the carrying value, the Company performs its annual, or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. Application of the goodwill impairment test requires significant judgment, including the identification of reporting units, assignment of assets and liabilities to reporting units, assignment of goodwill to reporting units, and determination of the fair value of each reporting unit. The fair value of each reporting unit is estimated through the use of a discounted cash flow methodology. This analysis requires significant assumptions, including discount rate, projected future revenues, projected future operating margins and terminal growth rates. The estimates used to calculate the fair value of a reporting unit change from year to year based on operating results, market conditions and other factors. Changes in these estimates and assumptions could materially affect the determination of fair value and goodwill impairment for each reporting unit. The Company will recognize an impairment for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds a reporting unit’s fair value. For the year ended December 31, 2024, goodwill impairment charges of $86.3 million were recorded related to the Alcohol Brands reporting unit. Subsequent to the impairment charges recorded, there is no remaining goodwill for the Alcohol Brands reporting unit. As of December 31, 2024, the accumulated goodwill impairment balance was $86.3 million related entirely to the Alcohol Brands reporting unit. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, there were no goodwill impairments recorded and there were no accumulated impairment balances.

Other Intangibles – In accordance with FASB ASC 350, intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized but instead are measured for impairment at least annually, or when events indicate that an impairment exists. Recoverability of indefinite-lived intangible assets is determined on a relief from royalty methodology, which is based on the implied royalty paid, at an appropriate discount rate, to license the use of an asset rather than owning the asset. The present value of the after-tax cost savings (i.e. royalty relief) indicates the estimated fair value of the asset. Any excess of the carrying value over the estimated fair value is recognized as an impairment loss equal to that excess. This analysis requires significant assumptions, including discount rate, projected future revenues and terminal growth rates. A significant change in any or a combination of the assumptions used to estimate fair value of our indefinite-lived intangible assets could have a negative impact on the estimated fair values. The Company amortizes its trademarks with finite useful lives over their respective useful lives. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, impairment charges of $40.8 million and $38.7 million were recorded to intangibles primarily related to trademarks in our Alcohol Brands segment. For the year ended December 31, 2022, an impairment charge of $2.2 million was recorded to intangibles.

Revenue Recognition – Promotional and other allowances (variable consideration) recorded as a reduction to net sales for our energy drink products primarily include consideration given to the Company’s non-alcohol bottlers/distributors or retail customers including, but not limited to the following:

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The Company’s promotional allowance programs for its energy drink products with its bottlers/distributors and/or retailers are executed through separate agreements in the ordinary course of business. These agreements generally provide for one or more of the arrangements described above and are of varying durations, ranging from one week to one year. The Company’s promotional and other allowances for its energy drink products are calculated based on various programs with bottlers/distributors and retail customers, and accruals are established during the year for its anticipated liabilities. These accruals are based on agreed upon terms as well as the Company’s historical experience with similar programs and require management’s judgment with respect to estimating consumer participation and/or distributor and retail customer performance levels. Differences between such estimated expenses and actual expenses for promotional and other allowance costs have historically been insignificant and are recognized in earnings in the period such differences are determined.

Promotional and other allowances for the Alcohol Brands segment primarily include price promotions where permitted.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See “Part II, Item 8 – Financial Statements and Supplementary Data – Note 1 – Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Recent Accounting Pronouncements” for a full description of recent accounting pronouncements including the respective expected dates of adoption and expected effects on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this report may constitute forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) regarding the expectations of management with respect to revenues, profitability, adequacy of funds from operations and our existing credit facility, among other things. All statements containing a projection of revenues, income (loss), earnings (loss) per share, capital expenditures, dividends, capital structure or other financial items, a statement of management’s plans and objectives for future operations, or a statement of future economic performance contained in management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations, including statements related to new products, volume growth and statements encompassing general optimism about future operating results and non-historical information, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Exchange Act. Without limiting the foregoing, the words “believes,” “thinks,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “estimates” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

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Management cautions that these statements are qualified by their terms and/or important factors, many of which are outside our control and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors, that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from the statements made including, but not limited to, the following:

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The foregoing list of important factors and other risks detailed from time to time in our reports filed with the SEC is not exhaustive. See “Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors” for a more complete discussion of these risks and uncertainties and for other risks and uncertainties. Those factors and the other risk factors described therein are not necessarily all of the important factors that could cause actual results or developments to differ materially from those expressed in any of our forward-looking statements. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could harm our results. Consequently, our actual results could be materially different from the results described or anticipated by our forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of estimates, forecasts and projections and may be better or worse than anticipated. Given these uncertainties, you should not rely on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date that they were made. We expressly disclaim any duty to provide updates to forward-looking statements, and the estimates and assumptions associated with them, after the date of this report, in order to reflect changes in circumstances or expectations or the occurrence of unanticipated events except to the extent required by applicable securities laws.

ITEM 7.MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is provided as a supplement to – and should be read in conjunction with – our financial statements and the accompanying notes (“Notes”) included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current expectations, estimates and projections about our business and operations. Our actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated and expressed in such forward-looking statements. See “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors.”

This overview provides our perspective on the individual sections of MD&A. MD&A includes the following sections:

Bang Energy Acquisition

On July 31, 2023, we completed the Bang Transaction. The acquired assets primarily include the Bang Energy® drink business and a beverage production facility in Phoenix, AZ.

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Pricing Actions

We implemented pricing actions including (i) price increases effective April 1, 2022 (limited pack sizes), September 1, 2022 and April 1, 2023 (limited pack sizes) in the United States, (ii) price increases at various times in certain international markets during 2022 and 2023 and (iii) decreased promotional allowances as a percentage of net sales in certain markets during 2022 and 2023 (collectively, the “Pricing Actions”). The Pricing Actions positively impacted gross profit margins in 2023.

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Gross Profit Margins

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During the year ended December 31, 2023, we experienced an improvement in our gross profit margins as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. This improvement was primarily attributable to (i) the Pricing Actions, (ii) our decreased reliance on imported cans and (iii) improved finished product inventory levels in closer proximity to our customers, resulting in a reduction of long-distance freight costs.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic we prioritized ensuring product availability for our customers and consumers.  This strategic direction remained in place throughout the global supply chain challenges and disruptions, despite adversely impacting our profitability. We continue to stand by our strategy to ensure product availability and solidify the continued long-term growth of our brands.

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We continue to address the controllable challenges in our supply chain.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of the date of this filing, we expect to maintain substantial liquidity as we manage through the current environment as described in the “Liquidity and Capital Resources” section below.

Our Business

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 ManTM IPA, Dale’s Pale Ale®, Wild Basin® Hard Seltzers, Dallas Blonde®, Deep EllumTM IPA, Perrin Brewing CompanyTM Black Ale, Hop Rising® Double IPA, Wasatch® Apricot Hefeweizen, The Beast Unleashed®, Nasty BeastTM Hard Tea and a host of other brands.

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We also develop, market, sell and distribute still and sparkling waters under the Monster Tour Water® brand name.

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Our net sales of $7.14 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023 represented record annual net sales. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on net sales of approximately $146.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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The vast majority of our net sales are derived from our Monster Energy® Drinks segment. Our Monster Energy® Drinks segment represented 91.8% and 92.4% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Our Strategic Brands segment represented 5.3% and 5.6% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Our Alcohol Brands segment represented 2.6% and 1.6% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Our Other segment represented 0.3% and 0.4% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

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Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on net sales in the Monster Energy® Drinks segment of approximately $124.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on net sales in the Strategic Brands segment of approximately $22.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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Our growth strategy includes further developing our domestic markets, expanding our international business and growing our business into new sectors, such as the alcohol beverage sector.  Net sales to customers outside the United States amounted to $2.71 billion and $2.36 billion for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Such sales were approximately 38% and 37% of net sales for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on net sales to customers outside of the United States of approximately $146.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Net sales to customers outside the United States, on a foreign currency adjusted basis, increased 21.2% for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Our non-alcohol customers are primarily full service beverage bottlers/distributors, retail grocery and specialty chains, wholesalers, club stores, mass merchandisers, convenience chains, 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 years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 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 Coca-Cola Bottling, 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 (formerly Coca-Cola European Partners and Coca-Cola Amatil), 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 Sheehan Family Companies.

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.

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Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. accounted for approximately 10%, 11% and 12% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

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Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, LLC accounted for approximately 9%, 9% and 10% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

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Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (formerly Coca-Cola European Partners) accounted for approximately 13%, 13% and 12% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

We continue to incur expenditures in connection with the development and introduction of new products and flavors.

Value Drivers of our Business

We believe that the key value drivers of our business include the following:

We believe that, subject to increases in the costs of certain raw materials being contained, these value drivers, when implemented and/or achieved in the United States and internationally, will result in: (1) improving or maintaining our product gross profit margins; (2) reducing our expenses as a percentage of net operating revenues; and (3) enhancing our cost of capital. The ultimate measure of success is and will be reflected in our current and future results of operations.

Net sales, gross profit, operating income, net income and net income per share represent key measurements of the above value drivers. These measurements will continue to be a key management focus in 2024 and beyond (See “Part II, Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Results of Operations”).

As of December 31, 2023, the Company had working capital of $4.43 billion compared to $3.76 billion as of December 31, 2022. The increase in working capital was primarily the result of the increase in cash and cash equivalents,

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related to the increase in net sales for the year ended December 31, 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2023, our net cash provided by operating activities was approximately $1.72 billion as compared to $887.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Principal uses of cash flows in 2023 were purchases of investments, purchases of treasury stock, the acquisition of Bang Energy, development of our brands internationally and purchases of real property, property and equipment. Except for the acquisition of Bang Energy, these principal uses of cash flows are expected to be and remain our principal recurring use of cash and working capital funds in the future (See “Part II, Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Liquidity and Capital Resources”).

Opportunities, Challenges and Risks

Looking forward, our management has identified certain challenges and risks for the beverage industry and the Company, including our significant commercial relationship with TCCC and TCCC’s status as a significant stockholder of the Company, in each case as described above under “Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors.”

In addition, legislation has been proposed and/or adopted at the U.S., state, county and/or municipal level and proposed and/or adopted in certain foreign jurisdictions to restrict the sale of energy and alcohol drinks (including prohibiting the sale of energy and/or alcohol drinks at certain establishments or pursuant to certain governmental programs), limit caffeine and/or alcohol content, require certain product labeling disclosures and/or warnings, impose taxes, limit product sizes or impose age restrictions for the sale of energy and/or alcohol drinks. In addition, articles critical of the caffeine content in energy drinks and their perceived benefits, or alcohol drinks and their misuse or abuse, as well as articles indicating certain health risks of energy and alcohol drinks have been published. The proposal and/or adoption of such legislation and the publication of such articles, or the future proposal and/or adoption of similar legislation or publication of similar articles, may adversely affect our Company.

In addition, uncertainty and/or volatility in our domestic and/or our international economic markets could negatively affect both the stability of our industry and our Company. Furthermore, our growth strategy includes expanding our international business, which exposes us to risks inherent in conducting international operations, including the risks associated with foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.

Consumer discretionary spending also represents a challenge to the successful marketing and sale of our products.

Increases in consumer and regulatory awareness of the health problems arising from obesity and inactive lifestyles as well as alcohol consumption continue to represent a challenge.

We recognize that obesity and alcohol abuse and misuse are complex and serious public health problems. Our commitment to consumers begins with our broad product line and a wide selection of diet, light and low calorie beverages within our product lines. We continuously strive to meet changing consumer needs through beverage innovation, choice and variety. (See “Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors”).

Our historical success is attributable, in part, to our introduction of different and innovative beverages which have been positively accepted by consumers. Our future success will depend, in part, upon our continued ability to develop and introduce different and innovative beverages that meet consumer preferences, although there can be no assurance of our ability to do so. In order to retain and expand our market share, we must continue to develop and introduce different and innovative beverages and be competitive in the areas of price, quality, method of distribution, brand image and intellectual property protection. The beverage industry is subject to changing consumer preferences that may adversely affect us if we misjudge such preferences.

In addition, other key challenges and risks that could impact our Company’s future financial results include, but are not limited to:

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See “Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors” for additional information about risks and uncertainties facing our Company.

We believe that the following opportunities exist for us:

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Results of Operations

This section of the Annual Report on Form 10-K generally discusses 2023 and 2022 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022. A detailed discussion of 2021 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021 that are not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.

The following table sets forth key statistics for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

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1Includes $40.0 million, $40.0 million and $41.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, related to the recognition of deferred revenue.

*Gross profit may not be comparable to that of other entities since some entities include all costs associated with their distribution process in cost of sales, whereas others exclude certain costs and instead include such costs within another line item such as operating expenses. We include out-bound freight and warehouse costs in operating expenses rather than in cost of sales.

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Net Sales

Net sales were $7.14 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately $829.0 million, or 13.1% higher than net sales of $6.31 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022. Net sales increased primarily due to increased worldwide sales by volume of our Monster Energy® brand energy drinks as a result of increased consumer demand as well as due to the Pricing Actions. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on net sales of approximately $146.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Net sales on a foreign currency adjusted basis increased 15.5% for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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Net sales were $2.53 billion and $2.20 billion for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, in EMEA, Asia Pacific (including Oceania), Latin America and the Caribbean.

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Net sales for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment were $6.56 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately $721.9 million, or 12.4% higher than net sales of $5.83 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022. Net sales for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment increased primarily due to increased worldwide sales by volume of our Monster Energy® brand energy drinks as a result of increased consumer demand. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on net sales for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment of approximately $124.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Net sales for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment on a foreign currency adjusted basis increased 14.5% for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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Net sales for the Strategic Brands segment were $376.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately $23.1 million, or 6.5% higher than net sales of $353.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Net sales for the Strategic Brands segment increased primarily due to increased worldwide sales by volume of our NOS®, Predator® and Fury® brand energy drinks as a result of increased consumer demand. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on net sales of approximately $22.4 million for the Strategic Brands segment for the year ended December 31, 2023. Net sales for the Strategic Brands segment on a foreign currency adjusted basis increased 12.9% for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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Net sales for the Alcohol Brands segment were $184.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately $83.5 million, or 82.3% higher than net sales of $101.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 (effectively from February 17, 2022 to December 31, 2022). Net sales of The Beast Unleashed® FMBs, which launched during the 2023 first quarter in the United States on a rolling state basis, were $86.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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Net sales for the Other segment were $23.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately $0.6 million, or 2.4% higher than net sales of $22.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.

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Case sales for our energy drink products, in 192-ounce case equivalents, were 769.2 million cases for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately 67.6 million cases or 9.6% higher than case sales of 701.7 million cases for the year ended December 31, 2022. The overall average net sales per case for our energy drink products (excluding net sales of Alcohol Brands and Other segments) increased to $9.01 for the year ended December 31, 2023, which was 2.2% higher than the average net sales per case of $8.82 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in the average net sales per case was primarily the result of the Pricing Actions.

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Case sales for our craft beers, hard seltzers and FMBs, in 192-ounce equivalents, were 13.1 million cases for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately 6.6 million cases or 101.3% higher than case sales of 6.5 million cases for the year ended December 31, 2022 (effectively from February 17, 2022 to December 31, 2022).  Barrel sales for our craft beers, hard seltzers and FMBs, in 31 U.S. gallon equivalents, were 0.6 million barrels for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately 0.3 million barrels or 101.3% higher than barrel sales of 0.3 million barrels for the year ended December 31, 2022 (effectively from February 17, 2022 to December 31, 2022).

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Gross Profit

Gross profit was $3.79 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately $619.6 million, or 19.5% higher than the gross profit of $3.17 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022.

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Gross profit as a percentage of net sales increased to 53.1% for the year ended December 31, 2023 from 50.3% for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase for the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily the result of the Pricing Actions, decreased freight-in costs as well as decreased aluminum can costs.

Operating Expenses

Total operating expenses were $1.84 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately $251.0 million, or 15.8% higher than total operating expenses of $1.59 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022.

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The increase in operating expenses was primarily due to increased general and administrative expenses of $80.9 million, including travel and entertainment, professional service fees (including legal and accounting) and depreciation and amortization, increased selling and marketing expenses of $92.2 million, including sponsorships and endorsements, point of sale, premiums and allocated trade development, and increased payroll expenses of $82.4 million. In addition, operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 included $16.1 million of transaction costs related to the acquisition of Bang Energy and $42.7 million of impairment charges related to the Alcohol Brands segment (the “Alcohol Impairment Charges”). The Alcohol Impairment Charges, due in part to the continuing challenges in the craft beer and hard seltzer categories, relate to certain non-amortizing intangibles as well as property and equipment, acquired as part of the CANarchy transaction (as defined below in Note 2, “Acquisitions”).

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Operating expenses as a percentage of net sales for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were 25.8% and 25.2%, respectively.

Operating Income

Operating income was $1.95 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately $368.6 million, or 23.3% higher than operating income of $1.58 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022. Operating income as a percentage of net sales increased to 27.4% for the year ended December 31, 2023 from 25.1% for the year ended December 31, 2022. Operating income for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased primarily due to an increase of $619.6 million in gross profit partially offset by an increase in operating expenses of $368.6 million, which includes the Alcohol Impairment Charges.

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Operating income was $409.3 million and $316.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, for our operations in EMEA, Asia Pacific (including Oceania), Latin America and the Caribbean.

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Operating income for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment, exclusive of corporate and unallocated expenses, was $2.34 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately $488.7 million, or 26.4% higher than operating income of $1.85 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in operating income for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment was primarily the result of a $572.5 million increase in gross profit.

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Operating income for the Strategic Brands segment, exclusive of corporate and unallocated expenses, was $207.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately $9.4 million, or 4.8% higher than operating income of $197.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in operating income for the Strategic Brands segment was primarily the result of a $14.6 million increase in gross profit.

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Operating loss for the Alcohol Brands segment, exclusive of corporate and unallocated expenses, was $81.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately $49.6 million, or 157.5% higher than operating loss of

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$31.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 (effectively from February 17, 2022 to December 31, 2022). The increase in the operating loss for the Alcohol Brands segment for the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily as a result of the Alcohol Impairment Charges of $42.7 million.

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Operating income for the Other segment, exclusive of corporate and unallocated expenses, was $3.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately $0.5 million, or 17.3% higher than operating income of $3.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Interest and Other Income (Expense), net

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Interest and other income (expense), net, was $115.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to interest and other income (expense), net, of ($12.8) million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Foreign currency transaction gains (losses) were ($60.2) million and ($37.9) million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Interest income was $130.0 million and $29.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.  Interest and other income (expense), net included a gain on transaction of $45.4 million related to the acquisition of Bang Energy (“Bang Transaction Gain”) for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Provision for Income Taxes

Provision for income taxes was $437.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $57.2 million, or 15.0% higher than the provision for income taxes of $380.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The effective combined federal, state and foreign tax rate was 21.2% and 24.2% for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The decrease in the effective tax rate was primarily attributable to the increase in the stock compensation deduction for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Net Income

Net income was $1.63 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $439.4 million, or 36.9% higher than net income of $1.19 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in net income for the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to the increase in gross profit.

Key Business Metrics

We use certain key metrics and financial measures not prepared in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) to evaluate and manage our business. For a further discussion of how we use key metrics and certain non-GAAP financial measures, see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Key Metrics” below.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Key Metrics

Gross Billings**

Gross billings were $8.23 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately $968.1 million, or 13.3% higher than gross billings of $7.26 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on gross billings of approximately $149.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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Gross billings for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment were $7.59 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of approximately $855.4 million, or 12.7% higher than gross billings of $6.74 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022. Gross billings for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment increased primarily due to increased worldwide sales by volume of our Monster Energy® brand energy drinks as a result of increased consumer demand, as well as due to price increases in certain markets. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on

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gross billings for the Monster Energy® Drinks segment of approximately $127.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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Gross billings for the Strategic Brands segment were $425.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $26.6 million, or 6.7% higher than gross billings of $398.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Net changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on gross billings in the Strategic Brands segment of approximately $22.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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Gross billings for the Alcohol Brands segment were $188.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $85.6 million, or 83.0% higher than gross billings of $103.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 (effectively from February 17, 2022 to December 31, 2022).

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Gross billings for the Other segment were $23.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $0.6 million, or 2.6% higher than gross billings of $22.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.

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Promotional allowances, commissions and other expenses, as described in the footnote below, were $1.13 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $139.1 million, or 14.0% higher than promotional allowances, commissions and other expenses of $990.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Promotional allowances as a percentage of gross billings were 13.7% and 13.6% for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

**Gross billings represent amounts invoiced to customers net of cash discounts, returns and excise taxes. Gross billings are used internally by management as an indicator of and to monitor operating performance, including sales performance of particular products, salesperson performance, product growth or declines and is useful to investors in evaluating overall Company performance. The use of gross billings allows evaluation of sales performance before the effect of any promotional items, which can mask certain performance issues. We therefore believe that the presentation of gross billings provides a useful measure of our operating performance. The use of gross billings is not a measure that is recognized under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net sales, which is determined in accordance with GAAP, and should not be used alone as an indicator of operating performance in place of net sales. Additionally, gross billings may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies, as gross billings has been defined by our internal reporting practices. In addition, gross billings may not be realized in the form of cash receipts as promotional payments and allowances may be deducted from payments received from certain customers.

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The following table reconciles the non-GAAP financial measure of gross billings with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure of net sales:

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***Although the expenditures described in this line item are determined in accordance with GAAP and meet GAAP requirements, the presentation thereof does not conform to GAAP presentation requirements. Additionally, our definition of promotional and other allowances may not be comparable to similar items presented by other companies. Promotional and other allowances for our energy drink products primarily include consideration given to our non-alcohol bottlers/distributors or retail customers including, but not limited to the following: (i) discounts granted off list prices to support price promotions to end-consumers by retailers; (ii) reimbursements given to our bottlers/distributors for agreed portions of their promotional spend with retailers, including slotting, shelf space allowances and other fees for both new and existing products; (iii) our agreed share of fees given to bottlers/distributors and/or directly to retailers for advertising, in-store marketing and promotional activities; (iv) our agreed share of slotting, shelf space allowances and other fees given directly to retailers, club stores and/or wholesalers; (v) incentives given to our bottlers/distributors and/or retailers for achieving or exceeding certain predetermined sales goals; (vi) discounted or free products; (vii) contractual fees given to our bottlers/distributors related to sales made by us direct to certain customers that fall within the bottlers’/distributors’ sales territories; and (viii) certain commissions paid based on sales to our bottlers/distributors. The presentation of promotional and other allowances facilitates an evaluation of their impact on the determination of net sales and the spending levels incurred or correlated with such sales. Promotional and other allowances for our energy drink products constitute a material portion of our marketing activities. Our promotional allowance programs for our energy drink products with our numerous bottlers/distributors and/or retailers are executed through separate agreements in the ordinary course of business. These agreements generally provide for one or more of the arrangements described above and are of varying durations, ranging from one week to one year. The primary drivers of our promotional and other allowance activities for our energy drink products for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were (i) to increase sales volume and trial, (ii) to address market conditions, and (iii) to secure shelf and display space at retail. Promotional and other allowances for our Alcohol Brands segment primarily include price promotions where permitted.

Sales

The table set forth below discloses selected quarterly data regarding sales for the past three years. Data from any one or more quarters is not necessarily indicative of annual results or continuing trends.

Sales of our energy drinks are expressed in unit case volume. A “unit case” means a unit of measurement equal to 192 U.S. fluid ounces of finished beverage (24 eight-ounce servings). Unit case volume means the number of unit cases (or unit case equivalents) of finished products or concentrates, as if converted into finished products, sold by us.

Our quarterly results of operations reflect seasonal trends that are primarily the result of increased demand in the warmer months of the year. Beverage sales tend to be lower during the first and fourth quarters of each calendar year. However, our experience with our energy drink products suggests they are less seasonal than the seasonality expected from traditional beverages. In addition, our continued growth internationally may further reduce the impact of seasonality on our business. Quarterly fluctuations may also be affected by other factors including the introduction of new products, the opening of new markets where temperature fluctuations are more pronounced, the addition of new bottlers/distributors,

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changes in the sales mix of our products and changes in and/or increased advertising and promotional expenses. (See “Part I, Item 1 – Business – Seasonality”).