Groupama Asset Managment Sells 10,168 Shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)

Groupama Asset Managment lessened its position in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) by 47.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,088 shares of the company’s stock after selling 10,168 shares during the quarter. Groupama Asset Managment’s holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $2,436,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in STZ. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Constellation Brands by 13.3% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 15,534,787 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,433,188,000 after purchasing an additional 1,821,969 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 6.0% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,144,428 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,841,048,000 after buying an additional 402,211 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,204,003 shares of the company’s stock worth $705,844,000 after acquiring an additional 63,323 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in Constellation Brands by 13.2% during the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,176,095 shares of the company’s stock valued at $482,919,000 after acquiring an additional 253,445 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in Constellation Brands in the 4th quarter valued at $445,883,000. 77.34% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Constellation Brands

In related news, Director William T. Giles bought 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 17th. The shares were bought at an average price of $186.39 per share, with a total value of $186,390.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,463 shares in the company, valued at approximately $272,688.57. This trade represents a 215.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 12.19% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Constellation Brands Trading Up 0.8 %

NYSE:STZ opened at $184.98 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $177.22 and a 200 day moving average of $213.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 52 week low of $160.46 and a 52 week high of $274.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.73, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.75.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 10th. The company reported $3.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.33 by ($0.08). Constellation Brands had a return on equity of 26.55% and a net margin of 6.27%. The business had revenue of $2.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.19 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a dividend of $1.01 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $4.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.18%. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 108.60%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on STZ. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $205.00 to $203.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Roth Capital lowered their price objective on shares of Constellation Brands from $298.00 to $284.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Argus lowered shares of Constellation Brands from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $203.00 price target (down previously from $262.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, January 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective 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, eleven have given a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $249.18.

About Constellation Brands

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.