Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) Receives $252.81 Average Target Price from Analysts

Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-one analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $252.81.

STZ has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Roth Capital decreased their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $298.00 to $284.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Argus cut shares of Constellation Brands from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $300.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 13th. StockNews.com cut shares of Constellation Brands from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, March 14th. Finally, UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $265.00 to $223.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 17th.

Constellation Brands Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of STZ stock opened at $178.99 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $178.20 and its 200-day moving average price is $217.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The stock has a market cap of $32.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.11, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.75. Constellation Brands has a twelve month low of $160.46 and a twelve month high of $274.87.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 10th. The company reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.33 by ($0.08). Constellation Brands had a net margin of 6.27% and a return on equity of 26.55%. The company had revenue of $2.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.19 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Constellation Brands will post 13.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a $1.01 dividend. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 108.60%.

Insider Activity at Constellation Brands

In other Constellation Brands news, Director William T. Giles purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 17th. The stock was 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 directly 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 12.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Constellation Brands

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in STZ. DSG Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $328,000. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 300,853 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,489,000 after acquiring an additional 7,737 shares during the period. 111 Capital acquired a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $896,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 25.2% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 278,489 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,546,000 after acquiring an additional 55,980 shares during the period. Finally, Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ acquired a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $11,569,000. 77.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Constellation Brands

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.