The shares of Monster Beverage (MNST) are climbing following the company's investor meeting. In separate notes to investors following the event, research firms Stifel and BMO Capital expressed optimism about the beverage maker's outlook.

STIFEL: Monster said that it expects its Q4 gross sales to rise about 12.6%, excluding currency fluctuations, reported Stifel analyst Mark Astrachan. That guidance was "approximately inline with consensus estimates" but "meaningfully better than buy-side expectations" in the wake of "weak U.S. scanner data since mid-December," the analyst stated. Monster also made progress in China and India, although China won't be profitable for some time and the India business won't be launched until later this year, said Astrachan, who kept a $59 price target and a Buy rating on the shares.

BMO CAPITAL: Investors' concerns regarding sales growth deceleration in the U.S. "appear misplaced," wrote BMO Capital analyst Amit Sharma. In the wake of the company's launch in China, the "encouraging" launch of its Mutant soda in the U.S., and its upcoming beverages, Sharma is more confident in its financial outlook. Monster is "continuing to gain momentum in China," while Mutant's sales are coming in above expectations, Sharma believes. Additionally, Monster's sponsorship deals with Nascar and Tiger Woods should enable it to gain market share with demographic groups that are not currently enthusiastic about its products, predicted Sharma, who kept a $55 price target and a Buy rating on the shares.

RELIEF RALLY: Meanwhile, Jefferies analyst Kevin Grundy believes the "strong" commentary on Q4 and "bullish" long-term outlook from Monster Beverage's analyst day should drive a relief rally in the shares. The company is not seeing the slowdown implied by recent Nielsen results, Grundy told investors this morning. He found the analyst day "upbeat" and keeps the stock as a top pick with a Buy rating and $58 price target.

PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading, Monster rose 2.6% to $44.25. Prior to this morning's move up, the stock had slid about 4% over the last month of trading.