Exchange Capital Management Inc. Cuts Stock Holdings in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)

Exchange Capital Management Inc. lowered its position in shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) by 4.1% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 2,519 shares of the company’s stock after selling 109 shares during the quarter. Exchange Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $557,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brown Financial Advisors raised its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 19.9% in the fourth quarter. Brown Financial Advisors now owns 1,935 shares of the company’s stock worth $428,000 after purchasing an additional 321 shares during the last quarter. BankPlus Trust Department bought a new stake in Constellation Brands in the 4th quarter worth about $562,000. Birchcreek Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Constellation Brands in the 4th quarter worth about $215,000. South Dakota Investment Council raised its position in Constellation Brands by 11.4% in the 4th quarter. South Dakota Investment Council now owns 13,638 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,014,000 after buying an additional 1,400 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA bought a new position in Constellation Brands during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. 77.34% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

STZ has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Monday, November 25th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $261.00 price target for the company. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $201.00 target price (down previously from $310.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $240.00 price target on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, January 27th. Barclays cut their price objective on Constellation Brands from $282.00 to $214.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Constellation Brands from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $254.29.

Constellation Brands Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of STZ stock opened at $178.27 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 1.10. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $192.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $224.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.22 billion, a PE ratio of 47.92, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.75. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 52-week low of $160.46 and a 52-week high of $274.87.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last released its 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). 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 in the prior year, the business posted $3.19 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were given a dividend of $1.01 per share. This represents a $4.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. Constellation Brands’s payout ratio is currently 108.60%.

Insider Transactions 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 shares were purchased at an average cost of $186.39 per share, with a total value of $186,390.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 1,463 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $272,688.57. This trade represents a 215.98 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 12.19% 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.