Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) Trading 3.1% Higher – Here’s Why

Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)’s stock price traded up 3.1% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $184.01 and last traded at $183.91. 847,221 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 46% from the average session volume of 1,572,297 shares. The stock had previously closed at $178.36.

Analyst Ratings Changes

STZ has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Constellation Brands from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $293.00 to $289.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 7th. StockNews.com lowered Constellation Brands from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, March 14th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $240.00 price objective on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $203.00 target price (down from $262.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Monday, January 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Constellation Brands currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $250.41.

Constellation Brands Stock Up 3.2 %

The stock has a market cap of $33.28 billion, a PE ratio of 49.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.90. The business has a 50 day moving average of $177.14 and a 200-day moving average of $215.89. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last announced its 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). 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.19 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Constellation Brands

In other news, Director William T. Giles bought 1,000 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 17th. The stock was bought at an average price of $186.39 per share, for a total transaction of $186,390.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 1,463 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $272,688.57. The trade was a 215.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 12.19% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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