Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) Rating Increased to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Thursday morning.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on STZ. TD Cowen reduced their price target on Constellation Brands from $270.00 to $260.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. BNP Paribas began coverage on Constellation Brands in a research report on Monday, November 25th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $261.00 price target on the stock. Roth Capital reduced their price target on Constellation Brands from $298.00 to $284.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $203.00 price target (down from $262.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price target on Constellation Brands from $300.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $253.43.

Constellation Brands Stock Performance

NYSE STZ opened at $179.00 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.75. Constellation Brands has a 1-year low of $160.46 and a 1-year high of $274.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $185.00 and its 200-day simple moving average is $221.84.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $2.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.19 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Constellation Brands will post 13.5 EPS for the current year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a $1.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.26%. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 108.60%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director William T. Giles purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 17th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $186.39 per share, for a total transaction of $186,390.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 1,463 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $272,688.57. The trade was a 215.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 12.19% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Constellation Brands

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Metis Global Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 5,570 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,435,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Constellation Brands by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 4,205 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,084,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the period. KCM Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in Constellation Brands by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. KCM Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,382 shares of the company’s stock valued at $872,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in Constellation Brands by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 7,357 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,626,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Finally, BSW Wealth Partners boosted its position in Constellation Brands by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. BSW Wealth Partners now owns 1,563 shares of the company’s stock valued at $345,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. 77.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.