Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) Director Acquires $186,390.00 in Stock

Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) Director William T. Giles bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 17th. The stock was bought at an average price of $186.39 per share, with a total value of $186,390.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 1,463 shares in the company, valued at approximately $272,688.57. This represents a 215.98 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Constellation Brands Price Performance

Shares of STZ traded down $3.53 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $180.78. The company had a trading volume of 463,463 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,965,277. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $225.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $238.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The company has a market capitalization of $32.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.77, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.91. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 12-month low of $176.51 and a 12-month high of $274.87.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 10th. The company reported $3.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.33 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $2.46 billion during 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 revenue for the quarter was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.19 EPS. Research analysts expect that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Constellation Brands Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Constellation Brands

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in STZ. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in Constellation Brands by 887.5% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands during the 3rd quarter worth about $39,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands during the 3rd quarter worth about $42,000. Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands during the 3rd quarter worth about $60,000. Finally, Continuum Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 68.0% during the 3rd quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 252 shares of the company’s stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. 77.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on STZ. Roth Capital lowered their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $298.00 to $284.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $280.00 to $220.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 13th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Constellation Brands from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $255.00 price target (down previously from $300.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Argus downgraded shares of Constellation Brands from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $259.05.

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.