Latest news with #RodneySacks
San Francisco Chronicle
6 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Thrifty Ice Cream is making a comeback after Rite Aid's collapse
Thrifty Ice Cream, the beloved West Coast brand known for its flat-topped scoops and pharmacy-counter nostalgia, is staging a comeback after months of uncertainty tied to Rite Aid's bankruptcy and nationwide store closures. The brand was acquired in July for $19.2 million by Hilrod Holdings, a family office linked to Monster Beverage Corp. executives Hilton Schlosberg and Rodney Sacks. The sale followed Rite Aid's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in May and its announcement that 500 stores — many of which housed Thrifty counters — would be shut down. Late last week, Thrifty's new owners unveiled plans to relaunch the ice cream brand with updated packaging, new flavors and broader retail distribution. Despite the refresh, they emphasized that Thrifty's original recipes, textures and signature scoop style will remain untouched. 'While the heart of Thrifty remains the same, the future is full of opportunity,' the company said in a statement. 'We're exploring new locations, expanding our reach, and looking at ways to make it easier than ever to bring Thrifty into your home.'
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rite Aid's Thrifty ice cream brand gets sold to a business entity linked to Monster Energy executives
Rite Aid has selected a successful bidder for its Thrifty Payless subsidiary, which includes the beloved Thrifty ice cream brand, according to a bankruptcy court filing on Thursday. He was buried in a mushroom casket. Soon he'll be part of the soil CEO of an $11 billion builder empire warns that these housing markets face a short-term oversupply Lifting the veil on the critical—and oft-times overlooked—factors driving AI growth The buyer was identified as Hilrod Holdings, a limited partnership linked to Hilton Schlosberg and Rodney Sacks, top executives at the energy drink company Monster Beverage Corporation. Hilrod is seeking to pay $19.2 million for Thrifty's assets, the filing revealed. The partnership is mostly known for its real estate investments Thrifty ice cream is available at scoop counters located inside many Rite Aid locations in addition to being sold by third-party retailers. It was not immediately clear what Hilrod plans to do with Thrifty should the sale be approved by the court. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for June 30. Fast Company reached out to a lawyer for Hilrod Holdings, and representatives for Monster Beverage and Rite Aid for comment. We will update this story if we hear back. Schlosberg and Sacks had until recently been co-CEOs of Monster Beverage. A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revealed that Sacks planned to retire this month, while Schlosberg would continue to lead the company. The fate of Thrifty ice cream has been uncertain since Rite Aid announced in early May that it would see Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for a second time. The embattled pharmacy chain is winding down its operations, closing or selling its physical stores, and has sold off most of its prescription files to competitors, including CVS and Walgreens. The Thrifty brand stretches back decades in Los Angeles, where it was sold at soda fountain counters inside the Thrifty Drug Store chain. It became part of Rite Aid through Rite Aid's purchase of Thrifty Payless in 1996. This story is developing and could be updated. This post originally appeared at to get the Fast Company newsletter: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MNST Q1 Earnings Call: Lower Sales on Distribution Impacts, Margin Expansion from Pricing and Supply Chain
Energy drink company Monster Beverage (NASDAQ:MNST) missed Wall Street's revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, with sales falling 2.3% year on year to $1.85 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $0.47 per share was 2.2% above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy MNST? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $1.85 billion vs analyst estimates of $1.98 billion (2.3% year-on-year decline, 6.3% miss) Adjusted EPS: $0.47 vs analyst estimates of $0.46 (2.2% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $594.6 million vs analyst estimates of $598.4 million (32.1% margin, 0.6% miss) Operating Margin: 30.7%, up from 28.5% in the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $61.44 billion Monster's first quarter results were influenced by a combination of distribution timing, adverse foreign exchange rates, and a challenging economic environment. Management specifically cited irregular ordering patterns from bottlers and distributors, particularly in the United States and EMEA regions, as a key driver of sales softness. Co-CEO Hilton Schlosberg explained, 'the first quarter was impacted by bottler distributor ordering patterns in the United States and had an interesting situation in the quarter where the numbers were impacted by bottler distributor ordering patterns.' Despite these headwinds, Monster achieved higher operating margins due to pricing actions and supply chain optimizations, which improved gross profit as a percentage of sales compared to the previous year. Looking ahead, Monster's management highlighted continued growth in global energy drink demand and the expansion of its innovation pipeline as central to its outlook. CEO Rodney Sacks noted, 'the energy category continues to grow globally. We believe that household penetration continues to increase in the energy drink category.' Management also addressed anticipated margin pressures from rising input costs, particularly aluminum, with Schlosberg advising, 'I wouldn't expect that the second quarter margin will be as high as the first quarter margin.' The company signaled additional product launches and ongoing market share initiatives as priorities for the remainder of the year, while emphasizing ongoing supply chain and pricing strategies to mitigate cost volatility. Monster's first quarter revenue was affected by external distribution factors and currency headwinds, while margin expansion was achieved through pricing and operational improvements. Distribution timing impacts: Management attributed lower reported sales to bottler and distributor ordering patterns, with U.S. and EMEA partners adjusting inventory and production schedules independently of Monster's direct influence. Supply chain optimization: Gross margin improvements were driven by efficiencies in procurement and logistics, as well as the benefit of price increases across key markets. Management highlighted that these actions helped offset some cost pressures. Foreign currency and weather headwinds: Adverse currency movements and unfavorable weather conditions, along with one less selling day compared to the prior year, contributed negatively to reported sales, particularly in international operations. Market share shifts: Monster acknowledged competitive pressures, noting that while its value share in certain channels remained steady, volume share declined amid rising prices. Schlosberg described ongoing efforts to regain market share, referencing recent sales rallies and new product launches as part of this strategy. Innovation pipeline: The quarter featured a higher volume of new product introductions, with management stating that more innovation was launched in Q1 than will be in Q2. Notable launches included new flavors across core energy and coffee lines, as well as incremental expansion of the affordable Predator brand in international markets. Monster expects near-term growth to be shaped by continued category expansion, further product innovation, and the management of margin pressures from rising input and logistics costs. Category growth and consumer demand: Management sees sustained increases in global energy drink consumption and household penetration. Rodney Sacks cited scanner data showing acceleration in retail take-away trends, especially in April, and remains optimistic about long-term category growth despite short-term sales fluctuations. Input cost management: Rising costs for raw materials—particularly aluminum—are expected to pressure gross margins in future quarters. Management is pursuing risk mitigation strategies, including hedging and localizing supply chains, but acknowledged that margin levels may not match those achieved in Q1. Ongoing product launches and market expansion: The company plans additional innovation in both core and affordable energy segments throughout 2025, with launches in new international markets. Management believes these initiatives will help support sales growth and defend or regain market share against competitors. In the coming quarters, the StockStory team will monitor (1) Monster's ability to sustain or grow market share in the U.S. and internationally, (2) the impact of additional product launches and innovation on sales momentum, and (3) management's effectiveness in mitigating cost pressures, particularly from aluminum and logistics. Execution on pricing and supply chain initiatives will also be critical to future margin performance. Monster currently trades at a forward P/E ratio of 33.5×. In the wake of earnings, is it a buy or sell? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump's presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth. While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we're leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. 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Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Goldman Sachs Considers Monster Beverage (MNST) A Highly Appealing Investment
On May 22, Goldman Sachs analyst Bonnie Herzog called Monster Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ:MNST) among the most appealing growth opportunities within the consumer staples sector. With that view, he reiterated a Buy rating with a price target of $67. The analyst estimates that the company will achieve an EPS of $1.86 for FY 2025, which indicates a 25% year-over-year growth and aligns with the current consensus estimates. Monster Beverage's Q1 2025 sales, reported in the second week of May, declined 2.3% year-over-year to $1.85 billion and missed consensus expectations. The decline was due to weakness in the Alcohol Brands segment and forex impact, excluding which, the sales were up around 2%. However, better cost management led to a 180 basis point improvement in the adjusted operating margin of 31.5%, and an EPS of $0.47, which was broadly in line with street estimates. Management noted that sales increased robustly in April, which bodes well for the next quarter. Moreover, the company is focusing on margin improvement using pricing strategies and supply chain improvements. At the results call, Chairman and Co-CEO Rodney C. Sacks, stated: 'We launched a number of new products in the first quarter. In the United States, Monster Energy Ultra Blue Hawaiian has rapidly become one of our top selling products. Innovation globally continues to play a key role in our strategy and we maintain a robust innovation pipeline.' With better revenue growth supported by innovation, Bonnie Herzog believes that the company has substantial scope to grow its gross profit and, in turn, earnings. Monster Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ:MNST), through its subsidiaries, develops and markets energy drinks, including Monster Energy drinks. While we acknowledge the potential of MNST as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MNST and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Goldman Sachs Considers Monster Beverage (MNST) A Highly Appealing Investment
On May 22, Goldman Sachs analyst Bonnie Herzog called Monster Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ:MNST) among the most appealing growth opportunities within the consumer staples sector. With that view, he reiterated a Buy rating with a price target of $67. The analyst estimates that the company will achieve an EPS of $1.86 for FY 2025, which indicates a 25% year-over-year growth and aligns with the current consensus estimates. Monster Beverage's Q1 2025 sales, reported in the second week of May, declined 2.3% year-over-year to $1.85 billion and missed consensus expectations. The decline was due to weakness in the Alcohol Brands segment and forex impact, excluding which, the sales were up around 2%. However, better cost management led to a 180 basis point improvement in the adjusted operating margin of 31.5%, and an EPS of $0.47, which was broadly in line with street estimates. Management noted that sales increased robustly in April, which bodes well for the next quarter. Moreover, the company is focusing on margin improvement using pricing strategies and supply chain improvements. At the results call, Chairman and Co-CEO Rodney C. Sacks, stated: 'We launched a number of new products in the first quarter. In the United States, Monster Energy Ultra Blue Hawaiian has rapidly become one of our top selling products. Innovation globally continues to play a key role in our strategy and we maintain a robust innovation pipeline.' With better revenue growth supported by innovation, Bonnie Herzog believes that the company has substantial scope to grow its gross profit and, in turn, earnings. Monster Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ:MNST), through its subsidiaries, develops and markets energy drinks, including Monster Energy drinks. While we acknowledge the potential of MNST as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MNST and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. Sign in to access your portfolio
