Monster Beverage 10-K 2022-12-31

​

​

​

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

​

Washington, D.C. 20549

​

Form 10-K

(Mark One)

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

​

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022

​

OR

​

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

​

For the transition period from _____ to _____

​

Commission file number 001-18761

​

MONSTER BEVERAGE CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

​

​

1 Monster Way Corona, California 92879

(Address of principal executive offices)(Zip Code)

​

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (951) 739 - 6200

​

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

​

​

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

​

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☑ No ☐

​

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes ☐ No ☑

​

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☑ No ☐

​

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☑ No ☐

​

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

​

​

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

​

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. þ

​

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

​

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

​

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.). Yes ☐ No ☑

​

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $44,291,170,358 computed by reference to the closing sale price for such stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on June 30, 2022, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter.

​

The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock, $0.005 par value per share (being the only class of common stock of the registrant), outstanding on February 16, 2023 was 522,409,358 shares.

​

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:

​

Portions of the registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement to be filed subsequent to the date hereof with the Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A in connection with the registrant’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Report. Such Definitive Proxy Statement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after the conclusion of the registrant’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.

​

​

​

​

​

MONSTER BEVERAGE CORPORATION

FORM 10-K

TABLE OF CONTENTS

​

​

​

PART I

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

Overview

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

​

We also develop, market, sell and distribute craft beers, hard seltzers and flavored malt beverages (“FMBs”) under a number of brands, including Jai Alai® IPA, Florida ManTM IPA, Dale’s Pale Ale®, Wild BasinTM Hard Seltzers, Dallas Blonde®, Deep EllumTM IPA, Perrin Brewing CompanyTM Black Ale, Hop Rising® Double IPA, Wasatch® Apricot Hefeweizen, The Beast UnleashedTM and a host of other brands.

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

Industry Overview

The “alternative” beverage category combines non-carbonated, ready-to-drink iced teas, lemonades, juice cocktails, single-serve juices and fruit beverages, ready-to-drink dairy and coffee drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks and single-serve still waters (flavored, unflavored and enhanced) with “new age” beverages, including sodas that are considered natural, sparkling juices and flavored sparkling beverages. According to Beverage Marketing Corporation, domestic U.S. wholesale sales in 2022 for the “alternative” beverage category of the market are estimated at approximately $72.9 billion, representing an increase of approximately 10.4% over estimated domestic U.S. wholesale sales in 2021 of approximately $66.1 billion.

Reportable Segments

We have four operating and reportable segments: (i) Monster Energy® Drinks segment (“Monster Energy® Drinks”), which is primarily comprised of our Monster Energy® drinks, Reign Total Body Fuel® high performance energy drinks, Monster_®_ Tour WaterTM and True North® Pure Energy Seltzers, (ii) Strategic Brands segment (“Strategic Brands”), which is primarily comprised of the various energy drink brands acquired from The Coca-Cola Company (“TCCC”) in 2015 as well as our affordable energy brands, (iii) Alcohol Brands segment (“Alcohol Brands”), which is primarily comprised of the various craft beers and hard seltzers purchased as part of our acquisition of CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective LLC (“CANarchy”) on February 17, 2022 as well as The Beast UnleashedTM FMBs and (iv) Other segment (“Other”), which is comprised of certain products sold by American Fruits and Flavors LLC (“AFF”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, to independent third-party customers (the “AFF Third-Party Products”).

Our Monster Energy® Drinks segment primarily generates net operating revenues by selling ready-to-drink packaged energy drinks primarily to bottlers and full service beverage distributors. In some cases, we sell directly to retail grocery and specialty chains, wholesalers, club stores, mass merchandisers, convenience chains, drug stores, foodservice customers, value stores, e-commerce retailers and the military.

Our Strategic Brands segment primarily generates net operating revenues by selling “concentrates” and/or “beverage bases” to authorized bottling and canning operations. Such bottlers generally combine the concentrates and/or beverage bases with sweeteners, water and other ingredients to produce ready-to-drink packaged energy drinks. The ready-to-drink packaged energy drinks are then sold to other bottlers, full service distributors or retailers, including, retail grocery and specialty chains, wholesalers, club stores, mass merchandisers, convenience chains, foodservice customers, drug stores, value stores, e-commerce retailers and the military. To a lesser extent, our Strategic Brands segment generates net operating revenues by selling certain ready-to-drink packaged energy drinks to bottlers and full service beverage distributors.

Generally, the Monster Energy® Drinks segment generates higher per case net operating revenues, but lower per case gross profit margin percentages than the Strategic Brands segment.

The Company’s Alcohol Brands segment primarily generates operating revenues by selling kegged and ready-to-drink canned beers, hard seltzers and FMBs, primarily to beer distributors in the United States.

Generally, the Alcohol Brands segment will have lower gross profit margin percentages than the Monster Energy® Drinks segment.

For certain risks with respect to our energy drinks see “Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors” below.

Corporate History

In the 1930s, Hubert Hansen and his sons started a business selling fresh non-pasteurized juices in Los Angeles, California. In 1977, Tim Hansen, one of the grandsons of Hubert Hansen, perceived a demand for shelf stable pasteurized natural juices and juice blends and formed Hansen Foods, Inc. (“HFI”). HFI expanded its product line from juices to include Hansen’s Natural Soda® brand sodas. In 1990, California Co-Packers Corporation (d/b/a Hansen Beverage Company) (“CCC”) acquired certain assets of HFI, including the right to market the Hansen’s® brand name. In 1992, Hansen Natural Corporation acquired the Hansen’s® brand natural soda and apple juice business from CCC. Under our ownership, the Hansen’s® beverage business significantly expanded to include a wide range of beverages within the growing “alternative” beverage category including, in particular, energy drinks. In 2012, we changed our name from Hansen Natural Corporation to Monster Beverage Corporation. In 2015, we acquired various energy brands from TCCC and disposed of our non-energy drink business. In 2016, we completed our acquisition of flavor supplier and long-time business partner AFF.

CANarchy Acquisition

On February 17, 2022, we completed our acquisition of CANarchy, a craft beer and hard seltzer company, for $329.5 million in cash (net of cash acquired), after certain working capital adjustments (the “CANarchy Transaction”). The transaction facilitates our entry into the alcohol beverage sector and brings the Cigar CityTM family of brands including Jai Alai® IPA and Florida ManTM IPA, the Oskar BluesTM family of brands including Dale’s Pale Ale®, Wild BasinTM Hard Seltzers, the Deep EllumTM family of brands including Dallas Blonde® and Deep EllumTM IPA, the Perrin Brewing CompanyTM family of brands including Black Ale, the Squatters® family of brands including Hop Rising® Double IPA and the Wasatch® family of brands including Apricot Hefeweizen to our beverage portfolio. The transaction did not include CANarchy’s stand-alone restaurants. Our organizational structure for our existing energy beverage business remains unchanged. CANarchy is functioning independently, retaining its own organizational structure and team.

2022 Product Introductions

During 2022, we continued to expand our existing energy drink portfolio by adding additional products to our portfolio in a number of countries and further developed our distribution markets. During 2022, we sold the following new products to our customers:

| | ● | Juice Monster® Aussie Style LemonadeTM | | ---

Showing the first 8K of 70K characters. Open the full section

In addition to the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and the consolidated financial statements and related notes, you should carefully consider the following risks. If any of the following risks actually occur or continue to occur, our business, reputation, financial condition and/or operating results could be materially adversely affected. The risk factors summarized below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially adversely affect our business, reputation, financial condition and/or operating results.

Risk Factors Summary

The following is a summary of the principal risks that could materially adversely affect our business, reputation, financial condition and/or operating results. You should read this summary together with the more detailed description of each risk contained below.

Operational and Industry Risks

Government Regulation and Litigation Risks

Intellectual Property, Information Technology and Data Privacy Risks

Financial Risks

| | ● | Default by or failure of one or more of our counterparty financial institut

Showing the first 8K of 89K characters. Open the full section

Not applicable.

​

As of February 16, 2023, our principal properties include our corporate headquarters as well as our Southern California warehouse and distribution center.

Our owned corporate facilities located in Corona, California, consist of (i) an approximately 141,000 square-foot, free-standing, six-story building (LEED Gold and ENERGY STAR certified), (ii) an approximately 147,625 square-foot three-story parking structure and storage facility, which houses our approximately 14,000 square-foot quality control laboratory, (iii) an approximately 75,426 square foot, free-standing, three-story building (currently pursuing ENERGY STAR certification), (iv) an approximately 20,661 square-foot, free-standing, single-story building and (v) an approximately 49,617 square-foot, free-standing, two-story building.

Our owned Southern California warehouse and distribution center is located in Rialto, California, consisting of an approximately 1,000,000 square-foot building which is LEED certified.

During 2022, we acquired certain real property and equipment in Norwalk, California. We intend to utilize the property as a manufacturing facility for certain of our products.

During 2020, we purchased a three-story office building located in Uxbridge, United Kingdom.

During 2019, we acquired a manufacturing plant and adjoining land in Athy, County Kildare, Ireland to produce and supply ingredients, including flavors, for certain of our international markets.

During 2019, we purchased approximately 7.66 acres of land in San Fernando, California. We are in the process of constructing a new production facility thereon to consolidate AFF’s operations into a single location.

In addition, we lease many smaller office and/or warehouse/manufacturing spaces, both domestically and in certain international locations.

​

From time to time in the normal course of business, the Company is named in litigation, including labor and employment matters, personal injury matters, consumer class actions, intellectual property matters and claims from prior distributors. Although it is not possible to predict the ultimate outcome of such litigation, based on the facts known to the Company, management believes that such litigation in aggregate will likely not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

The Company evaluates, on a quarterly basis, developments in legal proceedings and other matters that could cause an increase or decrease in the amount of the liability that is accrued, if any, and any related insurance reimbursements. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, no loss contingencies were included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

​

On September 29, 2022, a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (the “District Court”) awarded Monster Energy Company (“MEC”) approximately $293 million in damages in its false advertising and trade secrets case against Vital Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“VPX”), the maker of Bang Energy. The jury found VPX and its chief executive officer to have falsely advertised the “Super Creatine” ingredient of Bang Energy and to have acted willfully and deliberately in violating the federal Lanham Act. The jury also found that VPX stole trade secrets and interfered with MEC’s contracts over shelf space with certain key vendors. The parties are currently briefing post-verdict issues, including MEC’s motion for a permanent injunction relating to “Super Creatine” and request for enhanced and punitive damages.

In April 2022, MEC and Orange Bang, Inc. (“Orange Bang”) filed a joint motion in the District Court to confirm a final arbitration award against VPX that awarded MEC and Orange Bang $175.0 million and a 5% royalty on all future sales of VPX’s Bang Energy drink and other Bang-branded products as well as certain fees and costs. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement between MEC and Orange Bang, the award and future royalties will, after accounting for MEC’s expended fees and costs, be shared equally between MEC and Orange Bang. The arbitration arose from a settlement agreement that VPX entered into in 2010 with Orange Bang, a family-owned beverage business. Pursuant to the terms of that agreement, VPX is only permitted to use the Bang mark on “creatine-based” products or on Bang products that are marketed and sold

only in the vitamin and dietary supplement sections of stores. On September 29, 2022, the District Court entered final judgment confirming the award. On October 28, 2022, VPX filed a notice of appeal of the District Court’s final judgment confirming the award.

On October 10, 2022, VPX, along with certain of its domestic subsidiaries and affiliates, filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Southern District of Florida. Due to such ongoing proceedings, VPX’s appeal of the District Court’s final judgment confirming the final arbitration award is stayed. While reserving all rights to appeal, VPX made its first royalty payment of $3.6 million on February 14, 2023, which is for sales of Bang Energy drinks and other Bang-branded products from October 10, 2022 through December 31, 2022. This payment is subject to potential claw back if, among other things, the judgment and final arbitration award are overturned on appeal or VPX becomes administratively insolvent. In addition, per ASC 450 “Contingencies”, the Company will not recognize the September 2022 jury award or April 2022 arbitration award until the awards are realized or realizable. As of March 1, 2023, the proceedings have yet to progress to a stage where there is sufficient information for an accurate timeline of when the awards, including any royalty payments received, will be realized or realizable, if at all.

​

Not applicable.

​

PART II

Principal Market

The Company’s common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol, “MNST”. As of February 16, 2023, there were 522,409,358 shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding held by approximately 183 holders of record. The holders of record do not include those stockholders whose shares are held of record by banks, brokers and other financial institutions.

Stock Price and Dividend Information

We have not paid cash dividends to our stockholders since our inception and do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

On March 13, 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program for the purchase of up to $500.0 million of the Company’s outstanding common stock (the “March 2020 Repurchase Plan”). During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company purchased approximately 5.1 million shares of common stock at an average purchase price of $86.89 per share, for a total amount of approximately $441.5 million (excluding broker commissions), which exhausted the availability under the March 2020 Repurchase Plan.

On June 14, 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program for the purchase of up to an additional $500.0 million of the Company’s outstanding common stock (the “June 2022 Repurchase Plan”). During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company purchased approximately 3.6 million shares of common stock at an average purchase price of $88.73 per share, for a total amount of approximately $317.2 million (excluding broker commissions), under the June 2022 Repurchase Plan. As of March 1, 2023, $182.8 million remained available for repurchase under the June 2022 Repurchase Plan.

On November 2, 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program for the purchase of up to an additional $500.0 million of the Company’s outstanding common stock (the “November 2022 Repurchase Plan”). During the year ended December 31, 2022, no shares were repurchased under the November 2022 Repurchase Plan. As of March 1, 2023, $500.0 million remained available for repurchase under the November 2022 Repurchase Plan.

The aggregate amount of the Company’s outstanding common stock that remains available for repurchase under all previously authorized repurchase plans is $682.8 million as of March 1, 2023.

During the year ended December 31, 2022, 0.2 million shares of common stock were purchased from employees in lieu of cash payments for options exercised or withholding taxes due for a total amount of $12.5 million. While such purchases are considered common stock repurchases, they are not counted as purchases against the Company’s authorized share repurchase programs. Such shares are included in common stock in treasury in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2022.

The following tabular summary reflects the Company’s repurchase activity during the quarter ended December 31, 2022.

​

¹Excluding broker commissions paid.

²Net of broker commissions paid.

Performance Graph

The following graph shows a five-year comparison of cumulative total returns:1

​

​

1Annual return assumes reinvestment of dividends. Cumulative total return assumes an initial investment of $100 on December 31, 2017. The Company’s current self-selected peer group is comprised of TCCC, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (through July 9, 2018), Keurig Dr. Pepper Inc. (after July 10, 2018), Constellation Brands, Inc., Molson Coors Beverage Company and PepsiCo, Inc. The Company’s former self-selected peer group is comprised of TCCC, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (through July 9, 2018), Keurig Dr. Pepper Inc. (after July 10, 2018), National Beverage Corporation, Jones Soda Company and PepsiCo, Inc. The Company removed National Beverage Corporation and Jones Soda Company from its peer group and added Constellation Brands, Inc. and Molson Coors Beverage Company to its peer group, as such latter companies have higher market capitalizations and because the Company has recently entered the alcohol beverage industry.

​

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:

CANarchy Acquisition

On February 17, 2022, we completed the CANarchy Transaction. The CANarchy Transaction facilitates our entry into the alcohol beverage sector and brings the Cigar CityTM family of brands including Jai Alai® IPA and Florida ManTM IPA, the Oskar BluesTM family of brands including Dale’s Pale Ale®, Wild BasinTM Hard Seltzers, the Deep EllumTM family of brands including Dallas Blonde® and Deep EllumTM IPA, the Perrin Brewing CompanyTM family of brands including Black Ale, the Squatters® family of brands including Hop Rising® Double IPA, and the Wasatch® family of brands including Apricot Hefeweizen to our beverage portfolio. The CANarchy Transaction did not include CANarchy’s stand-alone restaurants. Our organizational structure for our existing energy beverage business remains unchanged. CANarchy is functioning independently, retaining its own organizational structure and team.

​

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Russia-Ukraine conflict did not have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations and liquidity. Net sales in Russia and Ukraine combined were approximately 1.1% of our total net sales for the twelve months ended December 31, 2021. We will continue to monitor future developments relative to this conflict and its potential impacts.

​

The COVID – 19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has directly and indirectly impacted our business. The duration and severity of this impact will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be accurately predicted, including new information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the emergence of new variants, the actions taken to limit its spread and the economic impact on local, regional, national and international markets. See “Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors.”

Pricing Actions

In 2022, we implemented measures to mitigate our increased costs through price increases and reductions in promotions (“Pricing Actions”). We implemented a price increase effective September 1, 2022 in the United States and implemented price increases at various times in certain international markets, all of which positively impacted gross profit margins in the third and fourth quarters of 2022.

Distribution and Supply Chain

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent increased demand for our energy drinks, we prioritized ensuring product availability for our customers and consumers. This strategic direction has 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.

During the year ended December 31, 2022, we experienced a significant increase in cost of sales, resulting in a material decrease in both gross profit and gross profit as a percentage of net sales, relative to the comparative year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in cost of sales was primarily due to (i) increased ingredient and other input costs, including secondary packaging materials and increased co-packing fees, (ii) increased logistical costs, (iii) increased aluminum can costs and (iv) geographical and product sales mix.

In the third and fourth quarters of 2022 we began to see an improvement in our gross profit margins as compared to the second quarter of 2022. This improvement was primarily attributable to (i) 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.

Furthermore, we experienced significant increases in distribution expenses, primarily the result of increased warehousing expenses, as well as increases in other logistical expenses, which adversely impacted operating costs.

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:

​

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 BasinTM Hard Seltzers, Dallas Blonde®, Deep EllumTM IPA

Showing the first 8K of 95K characters. Open the full section

In the normal course of business our financial position is routinely subject to a variety of risks. The principal market risks (i.e., the risk of loss arising from adverse changes in market rates and prices) to which we are exposed are fluctuations in commodity and other input prices affecting the costs of our raw materials (including, but not limited to, increases in the costs of aluminum cans, as well as sugar, sucralose and other sweeteners, glucose, sucrose, juice concentrates, milk, cream, coffee, tea, hops, malt and yeast, all of which are used in some or many of our products), fluctuations in energy and fuel prices, as well as limitations in the availability of aluminum cans and certain other raw materials and packaging materials. We generally do not use hedging agreements or alternative instruments to manage the risks associated with securing sufficient ingredients or raw materials. We are also subject to market risks with respect to the cost of commodities and other inputs because our ability to recover increased costs through higher pricing is limited by the competitive environment in which we operate.

We do not use derivative financial instruments to protect ourselves from fluctuations in interest rates and generally do not hedge against fluctuations in commodity prices.

Our net sales to customers outside of the United States were approximately 37% of consolidated net sales for both the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. Our growth strategy includes expanding our international business. As a result, we are subject to risks from changes in foreign currency exchange rates. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we entered into forward currency exchange contracts with financial institutions to create an economic hedge to specifically manage a portion of the foreign exchange risk exposure associated with certain consolidated subsidiaries’ non-functional currency denominated assets and liabilities. All foreign currency exchange contracts entered into by us as of December 31, 2022 have terms of three months or less. We do not enter into forward currency exchange contracts for speculation or trading purposes.

We have not designated our foreign currency exchange contracts as hedge transactions under FASB ASC 815. Therefore, gains and losses on our foreign currency exchange contracts are recognized in other (expense) income, net, in the consolidated statements of income, and are largely offset by the changes in the fair value of the underlying economically hedged item. We do not consider the potential loss resulting from a hypothetical 10% adverse change in quoted foreign currency exchange rates as of December 31, 2022 to be significant.

As of December 31, 2022, we had $1.31 billion in cash and cash equivalents, $1.36 billion in short-term investments and $61.4 million in long-term investments Certain of these investments are subject to general credit, liquidity, market and interest rate risks.

The information required to be furnished in response to this Item 8 follows the signature page and Index to Exhibits hereto at pages 77 through 125.

​

None.

​

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures – Under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, including our Co-Chief Executive Officers and Chief Financial Officer, we have evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13(a)-15(e) and 15(d)-15(e) of the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon this evaluation, the Co-Chief Executive Officers and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is (1) recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in rules and forms of the SEC and (2) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive and principal financial officers as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting – Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f). Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Co-Chief Executive Officers and Chief Financial Officer, our management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on our management’s evaluation under the framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013), our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2022.

Our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022 has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their attestation.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting – There were no changes in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2022, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

​

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of

Monster Beverage Corporation

Corona, California

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Monster Beverage Corporation and subsidiaries (the ”Company”) as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control —Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedule as of and for the year ended December 31, 2022, of the Company and our report dated March 1, 2023, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.

Basis for Opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that the controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Costa Mesa, California

March 1, 2023

​

None.

​

Not applicable.

​

PART III

The information required by this item regarding our directors is included under the caption “Proposal One – Election of Directors” in our Proxy Statement for our 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 (the “2023 Proxy Statement”) and is incorporated herein by reference.

Information concerning compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act is included under the caption “Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports” in our 2023 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

Information concerning the Audit Committee and the Audit Committee Financial Expert is reported under the caption “Audit Committee; Report of the Audit Committee; Duties and Responsibilities” in our 2023 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all our directors, officers (including our principal executive officers, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer and controllers) and employees. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and any amendment thereto, as well as any waivers that are required to be disclosed by the rules of the SEC or NASDAQ, may be obtained at http://investors.monsterbevcorp.com/corporate-governance or at no cost to you by writing or telephoning us at the following address or telephone number:

Monster Beverage Corporation

1 Monster Way

Corona, CA 92879

(951) 739-6200

(800) 426-7367

​

Information concerning the compensation of our directors and executive officers and Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation is reported under the captions “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” and “Compensation Committee,” respectively, in our 2023 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

​

The disclosure set forth in Item 5, “Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Repurchases of Equity Securities”, of this report is incorporated herein.

Information concerning the beneficial ownership of the Company’s Common Stock of (a) those persons known to the Company to be the beneficial owners of more than 5% of the Company’s common stock; (b) each of the Company’s directors and nominees for director; and (c) the Company’s executive officers and all of the Company’s current directors and executive officers as a group is reported under the caption “Principal Stockholders and Security Ownership of Management” in our 2023 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

​

Information concerning shares of the Company’s Common Stock authorized for issuance under the Company’s equity compensation plans is reported under the caption “Employee Equity Compensation Plan Information” in our 2023 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

​

Information concerning certain relationships and related transactions is reported under the caption “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence” in our 2023 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

​

Information concerning our accountant fees and our Audit Committee’s pre-approval of audit and permissible non-audit services of independent auditors is reported under the captions “Principal Accounting Firm Fees” and “Pre-Approval of Audit and Non-Audit Services,” respectively, in our 2023 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

​

PART IV

​

​

​

​

None

​

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

The following designated exhibits, as indicated below, are either filed or furnished, as applicable herewith or have heretofore been filed or furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Showing the first 8K of 180K characters. Open the full section