Editor’s Note:

A version of this story ran in the July 14 print edition of the Business Journal.

What goes up must go down. Then, back up again. And then down.

That’s been the case for two months with shares of Corona-based Hansen Natural Corp., which makes the popular Monster Energy drink.

The rollercoaster ride began the week ending May 9, when shares in Hansen dropped 18 percent for the week after the company reported a surge in profits and sales that nonetheless missed Wall Street’s expectations.

However, longstanding rumors that beer giant Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., which handles the lion’s share of the company’s distribution, was interested in buying the all-natural drink maker hit a fever the next month sending shares up more than 32 percent.

But early Monday, Anheuser-Busch said it had agreed to a sweetened $52 billion takeover bid from InBev, creating the world’s largest brewer and squashing hopes that the iconic beer maker was set to pay Hansen shareholders a hefty premium.

Yet Hansen shares were down just 46 cents, or 2 percent, to $24.03 as of mid-afternoon trading on the Nasdaq. That’s because industry experts contend that deal or no deal, Hansen is still sitting pretty.

“Continued energy drink category growth and favorable economics at the distribution level make it unlikely that a beer wholesaler would stop selling Monster Energy (drinks),” said Mark Astrachan, an analyst with Stifel Nicolaus, in a research report. He estimated that Anheuser-Busch reaps twice the profit selling Monster drinks than selling beer.