Analysts Slash Monster, Lift Defense Play Leidos

The biggest call of the day belongs to MNST. Consensus target prices for Monster Beverage were nearly halved — falling from $98 to just $49. The $90 billion energy drink giant has seen analysts reassess its growth outlook sharply.

Meanwhile, ZTS faced a double blow. Citigroup's Daniel Grosslight cut his Buy rating and slashed his target from $112 to $96. The animal health company carries a market cap of around $31 billion. Short interest sits at 4.6% of free float — modest, but bears have noted slowing prescription volumes.

On the brighter side, Citigroup also upgraded LDOS to Buy. Analyst John Godyn raised his target from $138 to $161. Leidos, a $17 billion defence and IT firm, benefits from sustained US government spending. The call reflects growing confidence in its contract pipeline.

NVDA attracted a new recommendation, with consensus target creeping up to $303. 57 analysts now cover the chipmaker. Fresh initiations keep arriving.

LLY also saw its average target nudge higher, reaching $1,300. Eli Lilly retains one of the strongest buy-side followings in the S&P 500.

The Allstate ALL was the only outright downgrade in the session, with consensus shifting from Hold to a softer mix and average targets slipping to $273.