Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) Shares Bought by Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC

Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) by 13.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,615 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 654 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $1,241,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. PFG Advisors boosted its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 12.4% during the 4th quarter. PFG Advisors now owns 1,882 shares of the company’s stock worth $416,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the period. Wealthfront Advisers LLC boosted its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 547.1% during the fourth quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 20,080 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,438,000 after buying an additional 16,977 shares during the period. Briaud Financial Planning Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter valued at $110,000. King Luther Capital Management Corp raised its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 1,511 shares of the company’s stock valued at $334,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Clare Market Investments LLC acquired a new position in Constellation Brands during the 4th quarter worth about $204,000. 77.34% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Constellation Brands Price Performance

Shares of NYSE STZ opened at $181.46 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $32.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.75. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a twelve month low of $160.46 and a twelve month high of $274.87. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $180.58 and a two-hundred day moving average of $219.23. 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 10th. The company reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.33 by ($0.08). Constellation Brands had a net margin of 6.27% and a return on equity of 26.55%. The business had revenue of $2.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.19 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a dividend of $1.01 per share. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.23%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 7th. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio is currently 108.60%.

Insider Activity at Constellation Brands

In related news, Director William T. Giles bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 17th. The shares were bought at an average cost 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 $272,688.57. This trade represents a 215.98 % increase in their position. The acquisition 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.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

STZ has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $293.00 to $289.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Roth Capital reduced their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $298.00 to $284.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $203.00 price target (down previously from $262.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Monday, January 13th. StockNews.com cut Constellation Brands from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Constellation Brands presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $252.81.

Constellation Brands 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.