Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) Short Interest Update

Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,440,000 shares, a growth of 62.3% from the October 31st total of 2,120,000 shares. Approximately 2.3% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,300,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.6 days.

Constellation Brands Trading Up 2.1 %

STZ stock traded up $4.98 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $240.95. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 833,709 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,386,526. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $241.72 and its 200 day moving average price is $246.75. The company has a market cap of $43.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 77.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. Constellation Brands has a 12 month low of $224.76 and a 12 month high of $274.87.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 3rd. The company reported $4.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.08 by $0.24. Constellation Brands had a net margin of 5.29% and a return on equity of 25.34%. The business had revenue of $2.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.95 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.70 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Constellation Brands will post 13.57 EPS for the current year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 5th were given a dividend of $1.01 per share. This represents a $4.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.68%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 5th. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio is presently 130.74%.

Insider Transactions at Constellation Brands

In other news, major shareholder Wildstar Partners Llc sold 660 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.00, for a total transaction of $159,060.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,736,884 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $418,589,044. The trade was a 0.04 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO William A. Newlands sold 7,426 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $237.24, for a total value of $1,761,744.24. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 7,274 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,725,683.76. This represents a 50.52 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 189,956 shares of company stock worth $46,058,091 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 12.19% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Constellation Brands

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB raised its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 260.7% in the 3rd quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 20,495 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,281,000 after acquiring an additional 14,813 shares in the last quarter. Arvest Bank Trust Division purchased a new stake in Constellation Brands in the third quarter valued at approximately $243,000. World Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Constellation Brands by 36.6% during the third quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,550 shares of the company’s stock valued at $657,000 after purchasing an additional 683 shares during the last quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Constellation Brands by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,239 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,092,000 after buying an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rehmann Capital Advisory Group bought a new position in shares of Constellation Brands in the 3rd quarter worth $928,000. 77.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on STZ shares. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Constellation Brands from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Evercore ISI lowered their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $310.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 4th. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and set a $298.00 target price on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Friday, October 4th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $309.00 to $300.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $308.00 price objective on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $289.16.

Constellation Brands Company Profile

Constellation Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, produces, imports, markets, and sells beer, wine, and spirits in the United States, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy. The company provides beer primarily under the Corona Extra, Corona Familiar, Corona Hard Seltzer, Corona Light, Corona Non-Alcoholic, Corona Premier, Corona Refresca, Modelo Especial, Modelo Chelada, Modelo Negra, Modelo Oro, Victoria, Vicky Chamoy, and Pacifico brands.