Kentucky Retirement Systems Increases Stock Holdings in Constellation Brands Inc $STZ

Kentucky Retirement Systems increased its stake in shares of Constellation Brands Inc (NYSE:STZ) by 51.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 13,756 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,684 shares during the quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems’ holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $2,063,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Choreo LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 3,116 shares of the company’s stock worth $437,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. HM Payson & Co. grew its holdings in Constellation Brands by 10.0% during the 4th quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 701 shares of the company’s stock valued at $97,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC raised its position in Constellation Brands by 14.2% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 548 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the period. Johnson Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Constellation Brands by 24.9% in the 4th quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 346 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Finally, HB Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Constellation Brands by 0.7% in the first quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,795 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,619,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.34% of the company’s stock.

Constellation Brands Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of NYSE:STZ opened at $130.38 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $138.03 and its 200 day moving average is $148.88. The stock has a market cap of $22.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.10 and a beta of 0.39. Constellation Brands Inc has a 52-week low of $126.45 and a 52-week high of $174.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, June 30th. The company reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.70 by ($0.27). Constellation Brands had a net margin of 18.87% and a return on equity of 25.58%. The firm had revenue of $2.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.39 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.22 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. Constellation Brands has set its FY 2027 guidance at 11.200-11.900 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Constellation Brands Inc will post 11.84 EPS for the current year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 30th will be paid a $1.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 30th. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio is 39.31%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Constellation Brands news, EVP James O. Bourdeau sold 4,407 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.24, for a total transaction of $631,258.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 9,109 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,304,773.16. This trade represents a 32.61% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 12.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on STZ. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $185.00 target price on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Evercore set a $175.00 price target on Constellation Brands and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Constellation Brands from $185.00 to $170.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on Constellation Brands from $186.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $167.53.

Constellation Brands Profile

Constellation Brands, Inc is a leading producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits, with operations spanning production, importation, marketing and distribution. The company’s beverage portfolio includes a range of premium and mainstream wines and spirits alongside major imported beer brands; in the U.S. market Constellation is widely known for its role in bringing Mexican imports such as Corona and Modelo to American consumers. Constellation supplies retail, on‑premise and foodservice channels and supports its brands with national sales and marketing platforms and supply‑chain capabilities.

The company traces its roots to the Canandaigua Wine Company, founded by Marvin Sands in 1945, and evolved through organic growth and acquisition into a diversified beverage company.