Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) Position Increased by Secure Asset Management LLC

Secure Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) by 18.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,489 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,145 shares during the period. Secure Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $1,655,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Whalen Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Constellation Brands during the fourth quarter worth approximately $274,000. Mutual Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 184.5% during the fourth quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 4,544 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,004,000 after purchasing an additional 2,947 shares in the last quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. lifted its holdings in Constellation Brands by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 38,665 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,545,000 after purchasing an additional 901 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 138,024 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,504,000 after acquiring an additional 2,927 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 27.9% in the fourth quarter. Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC now owns 1,376 shares of the company’s stock valued at $304,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. 77.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Constellation Brands Price Performance

Shares of STZ stock opened at $179.36 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.75. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 12-month low of $176.51 and a 12-month high of $274.87. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $223.36 and a 200-day moving average of $237.32.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 26.55% and a net margin of 6.27%. The company had revenue of $2.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.53 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.19 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Constellation Brands Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be issued a $1.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 7th. This represents a $4.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.25%. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio is currently 108.60%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Constellation Brands

In other news, CEO William A. Newlands sold 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $243.58, for a total transaction of $6,089,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 7,274 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,771,800.92. This represents a 77.46 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP James A. Jr. Sabia sold 36,086 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $242.99, for a total transaction of $8,768,537.14. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,042 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,898,045.58. The trade was a 69.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 69,172 shares of company stock valued at $16,778,841 in the last ninety days. 12.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on STZ. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $308.00 price target on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on Constellation Brands from $315.00 to $305.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $300.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 13th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price 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. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Constellation Brands from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Constellation Brands presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $259.05.

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.