Should help LBIX.. HANS news..Bought her back yesterday..
re:"" Meanwhile, Leading Brands Inc., a Canadian beverage company with a licensing agreement for several of Hansen's Energy and Monster Energy drinks in Canada, saw shares rose 57 cents, or 17 percent, to $3.91 during afternoon trading on the Nasdaq, after earlier hitting a new 52-week high of $4.18.""
AP
Hansen Natural Shares Hit All-Time High
Tuesday May 9, 3:38 pm ET
Hansen Natural Hits New All-Time High on Strong Earnings, Anheuser-Busch Distribution Deal
NEW YORK (AP) -- Shares of Hansen Natural Corp. skyrocketed to a fresh all-time high on Tuesday as the soda, juice and teamaker announced a distribution deal with brewer Anheuser-Busch Cos. along with first-quarter profit well above analyst estimates.
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Shares of Hansen rose $26.59, or 17 percent, to a new 52-week high of $178.24 on the Nasdaq before slipping back. The stock's previous high was $153.80, hit on Monday.
Anheuser-Busch will distribute Hansen's Monster Energy and Lost Energy drinks, as well as Rumba energy juice drinks and an additional Hansen energy brand not yet designated.
The brands are currently distributed through a network of beer, liquor and soft-drink distributors. The distribution transition is expected to begin shortly and continue over the next year.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Hansen reported first-quarter profit of 84 cents per share, versus 37 cents per share profit in the same period last year. Average analyst estimates, according to a Thomson Financial poll, were 71 cents per share.
In a research note, Merrill Lynch analyst Christine Farkas said Anheuser-Busch wholesalers will benefit from the deal.
"This distribution deal helps BUDs wholesalers, who have been struggling due to slower volume growth, competitive pricing and higher input costs, but does not directly add to BUDs profitability," she wrote. "Note that new energy drink brands, codeveloped with Hansen or not, might contribute to BUDs portfolio and mix."
As far as Hansen's benefit, the deal is "likely to improve Monster's availability in those underrepresented regions (i.e. Northeast) and channels (i.e. convenience stores)," she wrote.
Citigroup analyst Gregory Badishkanian, who rates Hansen a "Buy," called the deal a "major positive."
"Additional distribution, which will enhance the presence of Hansen products across all channels, will help build the Monster brand and induce trial of the product, which could fuel growth for the next 18 months to 24 months," he said in a note to clients.
Anheuser-Busch shares added $1.07 to $46.85 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Meanwhile, Leading Brands Inc., a Canadian beverage company with a licensing agreement for several of Hansen's Energy and Monster Energy drinks in Canada, saw shares rose 57 cents, or 17 percent, to $3.91 during afternoon trading on the Nasdaq, after earlier hitting a new 52-week high of $4.18.
The Anheuser-Busch deal does not affect Canadian distribution, a representative for Leading Brands said....
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