Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) Shares Sold by Swiss National Bank

Swiss National Bank cut its stake in shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) by 2.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 516,800 shares of the company’s stock after selling 13,900 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank owned about 0.28% of Constellation Brands worth $124,936,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in STZ. Burns Matteson Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Constellation Brands by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Burns Matteson Capital Management LLC now owns 2,499 shares of the company’s stock valued at $604,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 1,277 shares of the company’s stock worth $309,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Schear Investment Advisers LLC raised its stake in Constellation Brands by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Schear Investment Advisers LLC now owns 2,522 shares of the company’s stock valued at $610,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Lincoln National Corp lifted its holdings in Constellation Brands by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Lincoln National Corp now owns 2,565 shares of the company’s stock valued at $645,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trivant Custom Portfolio Group LLC lifted its holdings in Constellation Brands by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Trivant Custom Portfolio Group LLC now owns 10,449 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,626,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. 77.34% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. TheStreet downgraded shares of Constellation Brands from a “b” rating to a “c+” rating in a research note on Friday, January 5th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $295.00 to $308.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Roth Mkm restated a “buy” rating and issued a $305.00 price target on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Friday, April 12th. Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Finally, HSBC upped their target price on Constellation Brands from $290.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $298.55.

Constellation Brands Stock Performance

Shares of Constellation Brands stock opened at $256.08 on Friday. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 52 week low of $221.81 and a 52 week high of $274.87. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $260.65 and its 200-day simple moving average is $248.54. The firm has a market cap of $46.82 billion, a PE ratio of 27.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 11th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.16. Constellation Brands had a return on equity of 23.06% and a net margin of 16.13%. The company had revenue of $2.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.98 EPS. Constellation Brands’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Constellation Brands Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 3rd will be issued a $1.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 2nd. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.58%. This is an increase from Constellation Brands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio is presently 43.07%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP James A. Jr. Sabia sold 15,781 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.63, for a total value of $4,160,345.03. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 20,910 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,512,503.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, EVP James A. Jr. Sabia sold 15,781 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.63, for a total transaction of $4,160,345.03. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 20,910 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,512,503.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO William A. Newlands sold 4,013 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.25, for a total value of $1,056,422.25. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 5,395 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,420,233.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 16.19% 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.