Insider Buying: Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) Director Acquires $186,390.00 in Stock

Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) Director William T. Giles acquired 1,000 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction on Friday, January 17th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $186.39 per share, for a total transaction of $186,390.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 1,463 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $272,688.57. The trade was a 215.98 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Constellation Brands Stock Up 0.2 %

NYSE:STZ opened at $179.36 on Friday. 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 company has a market cap of $32.42 billion, a PE ratio of 48.21, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.75. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 52-week low of $176.51 and a 52-week high of $274.87. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $223.36 and a 200 day simple moving average of $237.32.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last issued 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 company had revenue of $2.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.53 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.19 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th will be given a dividend of $1.01 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 7th. This represents a $4.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.25%. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 108.60%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new position in Constellation Brands during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the third quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 887.5% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the third quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Finally, Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the third quarter valued at approximately $60,000. 77.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on STZ. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $203.00 price objective (down from $262.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Constellation Brands from $282.00 to $214.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Monday, November 25th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $261.00 price objective on the stock. Evercore ISI reduced their price target 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. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $308.00 price target on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Constellation Brands presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $259.05.

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.