Citi sees a strong setup for energy drink giant Celsius this year and heading into 2026. Analyst Filippo Falorni initiated coverage of the energy drink maker with a buy rating and target price of $55, which implies the stock could jump 24% from Tuesday’s close. The analyst pushed back against fears that Celsius has little room to run after its roughly 68% rally this year, noting the company’s long-term growth potential justifies its current valuation. In the near term, Falorni expects to see sales growth powered by an overall re-acceleration of the U.S. energy drink category from the recently acquired Alani Nu brand and reacceleration of the Celsius brand. He noted that the distribution of Celsius and Alani Nu brands sits below the average of Monster and Red Bull, respectively, also paving the way for further expansion in the longer run. “We have been long-term bulls on the energy drink category (with our Buy rating on MNST) and believe CELH can capitalize on strong category growth in the US with its two brands, Celsius and the recently acquired Alani Nu, given favorable consumer trends (younger consumers, expansion to female consumers, fitness, zero sugar),” he said in a Wednesday note to clients. Additionally, he added that “CELH has large international expansion opportunities (similar to MNST in the early 2010s), which can support long-term topline growth.” Wall Street is largely optimistic on Celsius shares, albeit less than Citi, with the consensus price target implying about 8% potential upside, according to LSEG. Of the 21 analysts covering the stock, five rate shares a strong buy while 10 rate it a buy. Four have a hold rating on the name.
Citi initiates Celsius with a buy rating as U.S. energy drink market ramps up
About the author
