Citi reiterates Buy on Monster Beverage with shares down year-to-date Despite a "big" slowdown in China, the global energy drink category remains a growth market, Citi analyst Wendy Nicholson tells investors in a research note. Monster Beverage continues to gain market share globally, and still has "plenty of runway ahead," the analyst adds. She reiterates a Buy rating on Monster with a $70 price target amid the stock's year-to-date decline. The stock remains on Citi's U.S. Focus List