NEW YORK, August 7, 2026, 14:10 EDT — U.S. markets open
- Celsius shares climbed 11.9% to $26.60 following Russ Savage’s proposal to take over as chief executive.
- Preliminary: Friday’s bounce recouped 52.5% of the roughly $1.36 billion equity-value decline seen on Thursday.
- Celsius’ core revenue declined by 11.7%, and Alani Nu reported $364.4 million in revenue.
Celsius Holdings shares rose 11.9% to $26.60 as of 14:05 EDT on Friday, after Rockstar founder Russ Savage urged a leadership change. The stock regained roughly half of its 18.5% drop from Thursday, which was triggered by its earnings results.
Early intraday figures show Friday’s recovered market value at approximately $716 million. On Thursday, around $1.36 billion was wiped out, based on shares outstanding as of June 30. The recovery accounted for just 52.5% of that decline.
The stock stayed 8.8% under Wednesday’s closing price. This gap indicates investors put value on the prospect of a leadership shift rather than the completion of a turnaround. Sales and margins for the core brand continued to decline.
Savage told CNBC he holds over 12 million shares in Celsius, representing 4.7% of the firm and valued at no less than $319 million based on Friday’s market value. He previously sold Rockstar to PepsiCo Inc. NASDAQ:PEP for $3.85 billion in 2020.
A spokesperson for Celsius stated, “Members of our board and management team have engaged with Russ Savage many times over the past several years.” Reuters
Friday market review
| Asset | Latest price | Friday change | Relevant comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celsius Holdings | $26.60 | +11.9% | Facing leadership test |
| Monster Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ:MNST) | $89.96 | -4.5% | Main competitor in energy drinks |
| PepsiCo | $138.87 | +0.3% | Partner in distribution |
| S&P 500 | — | +0.4% | Overall U.S. equities index |
By 14:05 EDT, trading volume for Celsius totaled 24.1 million shares, surpassing its 65-day average of 10.1 million. The activity on Friday was driven by factors specific to the company.
The report released on Thursday details the reason behind the rally’s halt. Revenue increased by 10.6%, but adjusted EBITDA declined by 12%. Adjusted earnings reached 36 cents, below the 42-cent consensus projected by FactSet.
Comparison of second-quarter financials
| Metric | Q2 2026 | Q2 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $817.9 million | $739.3 million | up 10.6% |
| Gross margin | 48.1% | 51.5% | down 340 basis points |
| Net income | $55.3 million | $99.9 million | fell 45% |
| Adjusted diluted EPS | $0.36 | $0.47 | down 23% |
| Adjusted EBITDA | $184.2 million | $210.3 million | declined 12% |
Promotions, mix of sales channels and rising aluminum costs weighed on margins. The company nonetheless allocated $100.4 million towards buybacks in the second quarter.
Alani Nu led revenue, contributing $364.4 million, which represented 44.6% of total group sales. Revenue from the flagship Celsius brand declined by 11.7%.
Brand performance comparison
| Brand or portfolio | Revenue signal | Tracked retail-sales change | U.S. RTD energy share |
|---|---|---|---|
| CELSIUS brand | Revenue fell 11.7% | -2.0% | 9.5% |
| Alani Nu | Revenue reached $364.4 million | Up 55.7% | 8.7% |
| Rockstar Energy | Revenue totaled $66.5 million | Down 13.0% | 1.9% |
| Full portfolio | Revenue at $817.9 million | Up 31.0% | 20.1% |
Retail sales across the wider three-brand portfolio increased. However, management reduced Celsius distribution points by approximately 7%. Revenue per continuing distribution point climbed 16% from the previous period.
Chief Executive John Fieldly stated that the portfolio accounts for “roughly one in five energy drinks sold in the United States.” He aims to achieve sustainable growth again for the core brand. SEC
Forecasts were rapidly lowered on Wall Street. Among nine firms that trimmed price targets on Friday, the average reduction was 22.3%. The mean target dropped to $41.00, down from $52.78.
Analyst ratings, August 7
| Research firm | Recommendation | New target | Previous target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Needham | Buy reiterated | $35 | $55 |
| Morgan Stanley NYSE:MS | Overweight reiterated | $42 | $48 |
| Stifel Financial Corp. NYSE:SF | Buy reiterated | $37 | $45 |
| UBS Group AG NYSE:UBS | Buy reiterated | $44 | $50 |
| B. Riley Securities / BRC Group Holdings Inc. NASDAQ:RILY | Buy reiterated | $56 | $85 |
| Roth Capital Partners | Buy reiterated | $48 | $57 |
| Citigroup Inc. NYSE:C | Buy reiterated | $40 | $50 |
| TD Cowen / Toronto-Dominion Bank NYSE:TD | Buy reiterated | $41 | $45 |
| Bernstein | Cut to Market Perform from Outperform | $26 | $40 |
| Maxim Group | Downgraded to Hold from Buy | Removed | — |
Eight companies among those surveyed maintained Buy or Overweight ratings. Bernstein and Maxim moved their recommendations to neutral.
Needham’s senior analyst Gerald Pascarelli reiterated a Buy rating. The firm’s note described the period as a “very tough quarter,” yet expressed optimism with “better days lie ahead.” Bernstein stated there was no apparent route to a turnaround for the main brand. Needham
FactSet continued to show 20 Buy or Overweight recommendations, along with five Hold ratings. The average price target, at $43.50, was roughly 64% higher than Friday’s closing price. Targets are projections rather than guarantees.
Risks: The contraction of the core brand might persist beyond the assortment reset. Margins may remain under last year’s levels, pressured by aluminum prices and ongoing promotions. Disputes among leaders could hinder the integration of Alani Nu and Rockstar.
The following test is more straightforward. For Friday’s governance premium to be sustainable, core Celsius sales need to resume growth.
Related articles: NASDAQ:CELH
