Celsius (CELH) Growth Outlook Strengthens on PepsiCo Distribution Expansion, BofA Double Upgrades to Buy

Celsius Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CELH) ranks among the best growth stocks to buy and hold for the long term. On February 27, Bank of America double upgraded Celsius Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CELH) to Buy from Underperform and boosted its price target to $65 from $45, citing better-than-expected fourth-quarter performance and stronger 2026 growth projections. According to BofA, Alani Nu drove fourth-quarter success, exceeding forecasts as it integrated into the PepsiCo network.

At the CAGNY conference, Celsius Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CELH) management announced 17% shelf space improvements for the core Celsius brand in North America by 2026. Although inventory changes in the second half of 2025 cause short-term volatility in comparisons, BofA stated that the increased distribution could promote consumption growth.

BofA stated that its previous Underperform rating was primarily motivated by valuation and momentary comparison constraints, in contrast to issues related to the brand or the overall energy drink category. The firm emphasized that non-alcoholic beverages retain their favored category within consumer staples.

Celsius Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CELH) develops, processes, manufactures, markets, sells, and distributes functional energy drinks in the US, North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally.

While we acknowledge the risk and potential of CELH as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CELH and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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