A Monster Deal for Beverage Plays

News of beverage and snack giant PepsiCo (PEP) buying out the at-home carbonated drink maker SodaStream (SODA) for $3.2 billion in an all-cash bid reignites bull hopes for more consistent "Merger Mondays" headed into the back end of 2018. 

Either way, the SODA buyout surely ought to put other beverage plays on the radar. FIZZ has been a solid performer, heavily-shorted and the owner of the popular LaCroix line of sugar-free flavored soda water. 

But Monster Beverage Corp., below on the daily chart, ought to be stalked, too. Note how price is trying to clear well-defined resistance this morning. 

As with FIZZ and SODA, MNST represents an ability for some of the beverage giants like DPS KO PEP to diversify from their iconic, sugary brand name sodas to other types of beverages which have gained popularity with changing consumer tastes over the last decade or so. 

Similar comments apply to health food grocers like SFM, which is strong this morning, given the WFM buyout last year.