# How Monster Beverage (MNST) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

> Source: EasyCompare research, https://easycompare.io/research/mnst
> Data as of October 20, 2026. Total returns include reinvested dividends. Past performance does not predict future results; nothing here is investment advice.

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on MNST alone. It places MNST (Monster Beverage Corporation) against 15 popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where MNST stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: MNST's full trading record, from October 1986 through September 2026. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 20, 2026.

## Key findings

- **Right now:** Over the past 6 months, MNST rose 21.8% against 9.1% for the S&P 500 and 11.2% for the Nasdaq 100. Not every peer went the same way. Over the past 6 months, KDP (Keurig Dr Pepper) rose 32.5% and PEP (PepsiCo) fell 12.8%.
- **Stock or market?:** MNST fell 1.4% over the past 3 months, 5.5 points behind the food & beverages ETF XLP (State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF), which rose 4.1%. The S&P 500 rose 3.9%. Its food & beverage peers did not move as one over the past 3 months: KO (Coca-Cola) rose 14.5%, while COCO (Vita Coco) fell 16.4%.
- **Past 1 to 3 years:** MNST has run far ahead of the market, rising 34.9% over the past year against 15.8% for the S&P 500 and 17.9% for the Nasdaq 100. MNST lagged its food & beverage peers in 2023, then moved up the pack in 2025.
- **Long term:** MNST turned $10,000 into $38,500 over the past decade, against $42,100 in the S&P 500. On the flip side, the past 5 years have been the better stretch: MNST rose 121% against 81.7% for the S&P 500, after trailing over the decade.
- **In a crash:** The 2015 China and oil sell-off took 25.7% off MNST, against 12.8% for the S&P 500. That was more than KO (Coca-Cola, 8.8%) but less than COKE (Coca-Cola Consolidated, 28.4%). MNST fell further than the S&P 500 in two of the last three sell-offs, including the 2015 China and oil sell-off (25.7% against 12.8%).
- **Diversification:** Against the S&P 500, MNST has a correlation of 0.33 over 5 years, less closely than 64% of stocks worth at least $300 million. Next to an index fund it is some diversification, but not a hedge. MNST's link to the S&P 500 has loosened: a correlation of 0.33 over the past 5 years, down from 0.64 in the 5 years before.
- **Better options**
  - **Popular alternatives:** CCEP (Coca-Cola Europacific Partners) earned more than MNST with less volatility over the past 5 years: 19.7% a year at 23.2% volatility, against 17.2% a year at 24.9%.
  - **Nearby categories and themes:** WMT (Walmart, discount retail) earned more than MNST with less volatility over the past 5 years: 20.8% a year at 22.6% volatility, against 17.2% a year at 24.9%.
  - **Whole market:** Few investments have done better on both counts: only 27 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than MNST with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them WMT (Walmart), ABBV (AbbVie) and PM (Philip Morris International).

## How much would $10,000 in MNST have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in MNST over the past 29 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of MNST over the same span and MNST's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period.

- $10,000 invested in MNST at the end of September 1997 would have grown to $45,663,831 by September 2026, more than the $132,907 it would have become in SPY, an S&P 500 fund.
- None of the eight other investments on the chart ended ahead of MNST.
- Over the past 29 years, none of the 1,042 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded that long, leveraged funds aside, ended ahead of MNST. Over the past 5 years, 937 did, and COKE turned $10,000 into $50,300, against $18,739 for MNST.

## MNST at a glance

This section summarizes the key facts about the stock, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout.

- MNST's deepest decline since it began trading in 1986 was 90.2%, from August 1987 to December 1995. It took about three years from the low to climb back to its old high.
- Over 29 full calendar years, MNST's best was 2004, when it returned 332%, and its worst was 2008, when it lost 24.3%. It lost money in six of those years.
- MNST is 5.9% below its all-time high.

- Type: Stock, Consumer Staples (Beverages - Non-Alcoholic)
- Trading since: October 20, 1986
- Market value: $92B
- Volatility (5 years): 24.9%; Sharpe ratio: 0.77
- Worst decline ever: −90.2%, from August 14, 1987 to December 14, 1995; back at its high by August 3, 1998

| Period | MNST total return |
| --- | --- |
| 1 month | +6.9% |
| 3 months | −1.4% |
| 6 months | +21.8% |
| year to date | +23.5% |
| 1 year | +34.9% |
| 3 years | +88.2% |
| 5 years | +121% |
| 10 years | +285% |

## MNST against the whole market

Where MNST ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.

### How does MNST rank among all stocks?

This section ranks MNST on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history.

- MNST's worst decline of the past 10 years ranks in the top 1% of the 2,187 stocks worth at least $300 million, where the top fell the least.

| Measure | MNST | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-year return | +34.9% | 854 of 3,287 (top 26%) |
| 3-year return | +88.2% | 1,032 of 3,017 (top 35%) |
| 5-year return | +121% | 566 of 2,893 (top 20%) |
| 10-year return | +285% | 624 of 2,202 (top 29%) |
| Volatility, 5 years | 24.9% | 319 of 2,893 (top 12%) |
| Sharpe ratio, 5 years | 0.77 | 339 of 2,893 (top 12%) |
| Worst decline, past 10 years | −30.4% | 24 of 2,187 (top 2%) |

### What has beaten MNST on both return and risk?

Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer).

- 14 stocks and 13 ETFs worth at least $500 million sit in the green region: each earned more than MNST over the past 5 years with smaller price swings. That is fewer than 1% of the 3,633 screened. Few investments beat it on both counts.
- Among those with at least half MNST's swings, DXJ has the best return for its risk: 26.6% a year at 19.1% volatility, 24% less than MNST's 24.9%, and a Sharpe ratio (return above cash per unit of volatility) of 1.34 against 0.77 for MNST.
- Among MNST's popular alternatives, CCEP is in the region. CCEP earned 19.7% a year against 17.2% a year for MNST, at 23.2% volatility, 7% less than MNST's 24.9%.

### Is there a better investment than MNST?

The table below lists investments that beat MNST over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes.

- Among MNST's popular alternatives, CCEP earned more than MNST with less volatility over the past 5 years: 19.7% a year at 23.2% volatility, against 17.2% a year at 24.9%.
- Looking beyond its popular alternatives, WMT (discount retail) earned more than MNST with less volatility over the past 5 years: 20.8% a year at 22.6% volatility, against 17.2% a year at 24.9%.
- Few investments have done better on both counts: only 27 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than MNST with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them WMT, ABBV and PM.

The 15 strongest of 27 investments that beat MNST over the past 5 years, out of 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million.

| Investment | Group | Annual return (5 years) | Volatility | Sharpe | Worst decline (10 years) | 10Y return | Correlation with MNST | Better on |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MNST: Monster Beverage Corporation (this page) |  | +17.2% | 24.9% | 0.77 | −30.4% | +285% |  |  |
| [ABBV](https://easycompare.io/research/abbv): AbbVie Inc. | Pharmaceuticals | +26.1% | 23.4% | 1.11 | −45.1% | +603% | 0.28 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | International Equity | +26.6% | 19.1% | 1.34 | −39.1% | +428% | 0.31 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| [PM](https://easycompare.io/research/pm): Philip Morris International Inc. | Tobacco | +21.0% | 23.4% | 0.94 | −42.9% | +242% | 0.41 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| [TRV](https://easycompare.io/research/trv): The Travelers Companies, Inc. | Property & Casualty Insurance | +22.4% | 22.3% | 1.02 | −46.3% | +347% | 0.27 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| CRAK: VanEck Oil Refiners ETF | Energy | +19.8% | 20.9% | 0.97 | −58.8% | +336% | -0.01 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| [MPLX](https://easycompare.io/research/mplx): MPLX Lp | Oil & Gas Midstream | +23.5% | 18.8% | 1.22 | −75.2% | +350% | 0.12 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| [TJX](https://easycompare.io/research/tjx): The TJX Companies, Inc. | Specialty Retail | +19.9% | 22.3% | 0.93 | −42.5% | +361% | 0.35 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| [BTI](https://easycompare.io/research/bti): British American Tobacco p.l.c. | Tobacco | +18.7% | 22.0% | 0.90 | −56.1% | +98.2% | 0.16 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| [CM](https://easycompare.io/research/cm): Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce | Banks | +19.2% | 21.6% | 0.93 | −47.3% | +395% | 0.28 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| [COR](https://easycompare.io/research/cor): Cencora, Inc. | Health Care Distribution | +24.2% | 22.8% | 1.07 | −32.4% | +406% | 0.25 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| [KMI](https://easycompare.io/research/kmi): Kinder Morgan, Inc. | Oil & Gas Midstream | +18.7% | 22.5% | 0.88 | −55.1% | +163% | 0.17 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| [AFL](https://easycompare.io/research/afl): Aflac Incorporated | Life Insurance | +19.0% | 20.8% | 0.95 | −54.9% | +335% | 0.12 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| [ETR](https://easycompare.io/research/etr): Entergy Corporation | Electric Utilities | +19.2% | 22.4% | 0.90 | −42.0% | +311% | 0.20 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| [WMT](https://easycompare.io/research/wmt): Walmart Inc. | Discount Retail | +20.8% | 22.6% | 0.96 | −25.7% | +508% | 0.04 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| SDCI: USCF SummerHaven Dynamic Commodity Strategy No K-1 Fund | Bonds | +20.6% | 18.4% | 1.12 | −45.7% | — | -0.22 | Higher return, lower volatility |

## MNST against its popular alternatives

The investments people most often weigh against MNST, compared period by period and year by year.

### How do MNST's risk and return compare with its alternatives?

This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings.

- Only KOF and CCEP were both more rewarding and calmer than MNST over the past 5 years, earning a higher annual return with lower volatility.
- Over the past 5 years, MNST returned 17.2% a year, more than the S&P 500's 12.7%, with higher volatility (24.9% against 17.1%).

### Has MNST consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares MNST with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years.

- Four of the 15 popular alternatives, led by COKE, KOF and CCEP, outperformed MNST in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes.
- COKE outperformed MNST in every long-term period and in all but one short-term period, the most consistent record in the group.

| Investment | 1Y return | 3Y return | 5Y return | 10Y return | Periods ahead of MNST | Verdict | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MNST: Monster Beverage Corporation (this page) | +34.9% | +88.2% | +121% | +285% |  |  | 0.77 |
| COKE: Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. | +61.7% | +255% | +461% | +1,569% | 4/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 1.10 |
| KOF: Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. | +46.7% | +96.0% | +174% | +119% | 4/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.94 |
| [CCEP](https://easycompare.io/research/ccep): Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC | +28.3% | +116% | +146% | +292% | 3/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.90 |
| COCO: The Vita Coco Company, Inc. | +48.4% | +152% | +357% | — | 3/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.82 |
| CELH: Celsius Holdings, Inc. | −53.5% | −44.5% | −4.3% | +4,120% | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.32 |
| IFF: International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. | +44.3% | +48.5% | −28.5% | −9.8% | 5/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.04 |
| [KDP](https://easycompare.io/research/kdp): Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. | +28.7% | +31.9% | +13.4% | +281% | 4/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.23 |
| [KO](https://easycompare.io/research/ko): The Coca-Cola Company | +40.2% | +86.8% | +98.2% | +204% | 4/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.91 |
| [FMX](https://easycompare.io/research/fmx): Fomento Económico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. | +44.0% | +53.7% | +92.9% | +79.7% | 4/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.64 |
| [BUD](https://easycompare.io/research/bud): Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV | +36.7% | +66.6% | +58.7% | −20.0% | 3/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.50 |
| FIZZ: National Beverage Corp. | +6.7% | −5.6% | −21.8% | +108% | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.02 |
| STZ: Constellation Brands, Inc. | −3.3% | −38.5% | −33.2% | −6.6% | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.19 |
| [PEP](https://easycompare.io/research/pep): PepsiCo, Inc. | −9.2% | −6.7% | −2.3% | +72.6% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.07 |
| [SBUX](https://easycompare.io/research/sbux): Starbucks Corporation | +20.6% | +13.8% | −1.7% | +130% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.15 |
| INGR: Ingredion Incorporated | −17.7% | +16.3% | +15.2% | −2.7% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.24 |

### How did MNST do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 1997, along with where MNST ranked among its popular alternatives each year.

- Ranked against its popular alternatives each year, MNST finished in the top quarter in 12 of 29 years and in the bottom quarter in four. In 2025, it ranked 2 of 16.
- MNST finished ahead of the S&P 500 in 18 of its 29 full calendar years.
- Among its popular alternatives, CELH came out ahead of MNST most often, in 11 of the 18 years both traded.

| Year | MNST | SPY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2025 | +45.9% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | −8.8% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +13.5% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | +5.7% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +3.9% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | +45.5% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +29.1% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | −22.2% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | +42.7% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | −10.7% | +12.0% |

## Risk and diversification

How MNST has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.

### What were MNST's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high.

- In all four of MNST's worst declines, the S&P 500 held up better over the same dates.
- Not every decline was the market's doing: MNST fell 56.4% from August 1998 to May 2001, while the S&P 500 rose 19.7%.
- The slowest recovery came after MNST fell 90.2% from August 1987 to December 1995; it did not regain that peak until August 1998, three years later.

| Decline | Peak | Low | Back at the high | SPY over the same dates | Market event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −90.2% | August 14, 1987 | December 14, 1995 | August 3, 1998 | — |  |
| −69.2% | October 31, 2007 | October 27, 2008 | May 18, 2011 | −44.6% | 2008 financial crisis |
| −56.4% | August 12, 1998 | May 8, 2001 | October 10, 2003 | +19.7% | dot-com bust |
| −51.9% | July 5, 2006 | November 9, 2006 | September 21, 2007 | +9.2% |  |
| −47.7% | June 15, 2012 | October 23, 2012 | August 15, 2014 | +6.0% |  |

### How did MNST do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far MNST, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000.

- Among its popular alternatives, KDP held up best, falling less than MNST in seven of the eight crashes they both traded through.
- MNST fell further than the S&P 500 in six of the ten crashes it has traded through. The clearest case was the 2008 financial crisis, when MNST fell 69.2% and the S&P 500 fell 55.2%.

| Crash | Dates | MNST fall | SPY fall |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dot-com bust | March 10, 2000 to October 9, 2002 | −50.4% | −47.5% |
| Global financial crisis | October 9, 2007 to March 9, 2009 | −69.2% | −55.2% |
| Flash crash | May 6, 2010 to May 7, 2010 | −12.4% | −1.5% |
| Euro debt crisis | July 22, 2011 to October 3, 2011 | −14.6% | −17.9% |
| China devaluation & oil rout | August 10, 2015 to February 11, 2016 | −25.7% | −12.8% |
| Volmageddon | February 2, 2018 to February 9, 2018 | −7.0% | −6.5% |
| Q4 2018 selloff | September 21, 2018 to December 24, 2018 | −20.1% | −19.3% |
| COVID crash | February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020 | −27.6% | −33.7% |
| 2022 bear market | January 4, 2022 to October 12, 2022 | −25.9% | −24.5% |
| SVB / regional bank stress | March 8, 2023 to March 13, 2023 | −2.9% | −3.4% |

### How closely does MNST move with the S&P 500?

Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell.

- COKE took just 60% of the S&P 500's losses, against 87% for MNST, while still keeping 123% of its gains.
- Over the past 10 years, MNST captured 87% of the S&P 500's gains in rising months and 87% of its losses in falling months, with a beta of 0.80. That is a defensive profile: it gave up some of the market's upside in exchange for smaller losses.
- Five of the 14 popular alternatives had a higher capture ratio (upside capture divided by downside capture) than MNST's 0.99, led by COKE, KDP and CELH.

Measured over the past 10 years of monthly returns against SPY.

| Investment | Upside capture | Downside capture | Beta |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MNST: Monster Beverage Corporation (this page) | 87.0% | 87.0% | 0.80 |
| COKE: Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. | 123% | 60.0% | 0.81 |
| KOF: Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. | 63.0% | 73.0% | 0.68 |
| [CCEP](https://easycompare.io/research/ccep): Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC | 69.0% | 56.0% | 0.66 |
| CELH: Celsius Holdings, Inc. | 195% | 127% | 1.54 |
| IFF: International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. | 65.0% | 147% | 0.96 |
| [KDP](https://easycompare.io/research/kdp): Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. | 59.0% | 38.0% | 0.56 |
| [KO](https://easycompare.io/research/ko): The Coca-Cola Company | 57.0% | 44.0% | 0.47 |
| [FMX](https://easycompare.io/research/fmx): Fomento Económico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. | 50.0% | 63.0% | 0.72 |
| [BUD](https://easycompare.io/research/bud): Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV | 51.0% | 125% | 1.04 |
| FIZZ: National Beverage Corp. | 73.0% | 99.0% | 0.94 |
| STZ: Constellation Brands, Inc. | 48.0% | 111% | 0.79 |
| [PEP](https://easycompare.io/research/pep): PepsiCo, Inc. | 48.0% | 65.0% | 0.48 |
| [SBUX](https://easycompare.io/research/sbux): Starbucks Corporation | 81.0% | 107% | 0.94 |
| INGR: Ingredion Incorporated | 56.0% | 114% | 0.72 |

### What diversifies MNST?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions).

- Moving a fifth of the money in MNST into MPC would have cut the portfolio's volatility by 19% over the past 5 years and raised its annual return (+13.4% for MNST alone, +21.3% for the mix).
- Among large ETFs, LVHI, DXJ and EMLP have moved largely independently of MNST over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.40 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.
- Among large stocks, CAH, CLS and FIX have moved largely independently of MNST over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.27 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.

| Investment | Correlation with MNST | 5Y return | Volatility | Sharpe | Rose in MNST's 6 down years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LVHI: Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF | 0.40 | +119% | 11.1% | 1.48 | 1 of 6 |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | 0.31 | +225% | 19.1% | 1.34 | 2 of 6 |
| EMLP: First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund | 0.23 | +101% | 14.5% | 1.04 | 2 of 6 |
| HDV: iShares Core High Dividend ETF | 0.37 | +83.3% | 13.0% | 1.00 | 2 of 6 |
| [SMH](https://easycompare.io/research/smh): VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 0.30 | +323% | 36.9% | 0.97 | 2 of 6 |
| DBEF: Xtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF | 0.44 | +85.0% | 13.8% | 0.96 | 2 of 6 |
| [GLD](https://easycompare.io/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | 0.26 | +126% | 18.9% | 0.96 | 3 of 6 |
| SPMO: Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF | 0.28 | +136% | 20.8% | 0.93 | 2 of 6 |

## Common questions

### What was MNST's worst drawdown?

MNST's deepest decline since it began trading in 1986 was 90.2%, from August 1987 to December 1995. It took about three years from the low to climb back to its old high.

### What were MNST's best and worst years?

Over 29 full calendar years, MNST's best year was 2004, when it returned 332%. Its worst was 2008, with a return of -24.3%.

### Is there a better investment than MNST?

Among MNST's popular alternatives, CCEP earned more than MNST with less volatility over the past 5 years: 19.7% a year at 23.2% volatility, against 17.2% a year at 24.9%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, WMT (discount retail) earned more than MNST with less volatility over the past 5 years: 20.8% a year at 22.6% volatility, against 17.2% a year at 24.9%.

### Is MNST more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. MNST's volatility over the past 5 years was 24.9%, 1.5 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, MNST's return lands within 24.9% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

### What is MNST's Sharpe ratio?

MNST's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.77, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so MNST earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.

### How correlated is MNST with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, MNST's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.33 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They are only loosely linked, which makes it a real diversifier next to an index fund. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against MNST instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a MNST holding.

### What are the best alternatives to MNST?

Of the 15 popular alternatives we compared, four outperformed MNST in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: COKE, KOF and CCEP.

### Did MNST outperform the S&P 500?

MNST finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 18 of 29 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +45.9%, against +17.7% for the index.

### How did MNST do in stock market crashes?

MNST fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in three of the ten major crashes it has traded through, and further in six. The clearest case was the 2008 financial crisis, when MNST fell 69.2% and the S&P 500 fell 55.2%.

### What diversifies MNST?

These had a low correlation with MNST over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, LVHI (correlation 0.40), DXJ (correlation 0.31) and EMLP (correlation 0.23); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.27), CLS (correlation -0.07) and FIX (correlation 0.20). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

## More research

- [Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/ccep)
- [Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/kdp)
- [Coca-Cola (KO) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/ko)
- [Fomento Económico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. (FMX) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/fmx)
- [Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (BUD) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/bud)
- [PepsiCo (PEP) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/pep)
- [Starbucks (SBUX) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/sbux)
- [Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/schd)
- [NVIDIA (NVDA) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/nvda)
- [Apple (AAPL) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/aapl)
- [Alphabet (GOOG) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/goog)
- [Microsoft (MSFT) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/msft)

## Explore further

- Full page with charts: https://easycompare.io/research/mnst
- All research pages: https://easycompare.io/llms.txt
- Compare the entire market against MNST live: https://betterthanspy.com/?b=MNST&utm_source=easycompare&utm_medium=research