Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) Short Interest Update

Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 4,020,000 shares, a growth of 58.3% from the February 13th total of 2,540,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,620,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.5 days. Currently, 2.9% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on STZ shares. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $201.00 price target (down previously from $310.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Constellation Brands from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Constellation Brands from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $220.00 to $202.00 in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $214.00 to $205.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $203.00 price target (down previously from $262.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Monday, January 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Constellation Brands currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $252.81.

Constellation Brands Price Performance

Shares of Constellation Brands stock traded up $3.33 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $184.66. 423,157 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,535,359. The firm has a market cap of $33.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.63, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.75. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $180.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $219.08. Constellation Brands has a 52 week low of $160.46 and a 52 week 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.

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 the consensus estimate of $3.33 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $2.46 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.53 billion. Constellation Brands had a net margin of 6.27% and a return on equity of 26.55%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.19 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Constellation Brands will post 13.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Constellation Brands Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 7th were given a $1.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $4.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.19%. Constellation Brands’s payout ratio is 108.60%.

Insider Activity at Constellation Brands

In other Constellation Brands news, Director William T. Giles purchased 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 17th. The stock was purchased at an average cost 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 SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 12.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in STZ. Mainstream Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Constellation Brands during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA bought a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA bought a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.34% 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.