Copeland Capital Management LLC Decreases Stake in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)

Copeland Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) by 14.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 47,809 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,403 shares during the quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $10,566,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA purchased a new stake in Constellation Brands during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 887.5% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Eastern Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the 3rd quarter worth $39,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Constellation Brands in the 3rd quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Truvestments Capital LLC purchased a new position in Constellation Brands during the third quarter valued at $60,000. Institutional investors own 77.34% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP James A. Jr. Sabia sold 36,086 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $242.99, for a total value of $8,768,537.14. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,042 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,898,045.58. The trade was a 69.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Wildstar Partners Llc sold 660 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.00, for a total value of $159,060.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,736,884 shares in the company, valued at approximately $418,589,044. This trade represents a 0.04 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 61,746 shares of company stock valued at $15,017,097 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 12.19% of the company’s stock.

Constellation Brands Stock Performance

Constellation Brands stock opened at $180.87 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $215.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $233.86. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The company has a market cap of $32.69 billion, a PE ratio of 48.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.91. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a twelve month low of $176.51 and a twelve month high of $274.87.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 10th. The company reported $3.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.33 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $2.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.53 billion. Constellation Brands had a net margin of 6.27% and a return on equity of 26.55%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.19 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th will be given a $1.01 dividend. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.23%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 7th. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 108.60%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

STZ has been the topic of several recent research reports. StockNews.com downgraded Constellation Brands from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. TD Cowen decreased their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $270.00 to $260.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $265.00 to $223.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, November 25th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $261.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Constellation Brands from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $257.14.

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.