Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) Shares Sold by Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC

Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC lessened its stake in shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) by 3.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 148,374 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,341 shares during the period. Constellation Brands comprises about 1.5% of Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest holding. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC owned 0.08% of Constellation Brands worth $32,791,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of STZ. Diversified Trust Co boosted its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 6.2% in the 3rd quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 929 shares of the company’s stock valued at $239,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. boosted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 13.0% in the third quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 703 shares of the company’s stock worth $181,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the period. Wedmont Private Capital increased its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 30.3% in the third quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 2,011 shares of the company’s stock worth $489,000 after acquiring an additional 468 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 5.5% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 7,265 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,872,000 after acquiring an additional 381 shares during the period. Finally, Independence Bank of Kentucky lifted its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 39.4% in the 3rd quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 3,400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $876,000 after acquiring an additional 961 shares in the last quarter. 77.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

STZ has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TD Cowen cut 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. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on Constellation Brands from $315.00 to $305.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Argus lowered Constellation Brands from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. UBS Group dropped their target price on Constellation Brands from $265.00 to $223.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Constellation Brands from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $254.29.

Constellation Brands Trading Down 1.1 %

NYSE:STZ opened at $169.05 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $208.85 and its 200-day moving average is $231.37. 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 12 month low of $166.02 and a 12 month high of $274.87. The firm has a market cap of $30.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.90.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 10th. The company reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.33 by ($0.08). Constellation Brands had a return on equity of 26.55% and a net margin of 6.27%. The firm had revenue of $2.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.19 EPS. The business’s revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.5 EPS for the current year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be issued a $1.01 dividend. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.39%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 7th. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 108.60%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Constellation Brands news, EVP James A. Jr. Sabia sold 36,086 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $242.99, for a total value of $8,768,537.14. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,042 shares in the company, valued at $3,898,045.58. This trade represents a 69.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director William T. Giles acquired 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 17th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $186.39 per share, with a total value of $186,390.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,463 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $272,688.57. The trade was a 215.98 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 61,746 shares of company stock valued at $15,017,097 in the last three months. Company insiders own 12.19% of the company’s stock.

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.