Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) Shares Acquired by Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co

Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co lifted its holdings in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) by 14.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 16,494 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,020 shares during the period. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $3,645,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in STZ. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its position in Constellation Brands by 1,844.7% in the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 924,274 shares of the company’s stock valued at $204,265,000 after buying an additional 876,745 shares during the period. Copperleaf Capital LLC purchased a new position in Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter valued at $343,000. Grimes & Company Inc. acquired a new position in Constellation Brands during the 4th quarter worth $6,099,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Constellation Brands by 62.8% during the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 16,575 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,663,000 after purchasing an additional 6,391 shares during the period. Finally, Southern Style Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Constellation Brands during the 4th quarter worth about $3,074,000. 77.34% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Constellation Brands Stock Performance

NYSE STZ opened at $183.69 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $177.19 and its 200 day moving average price is $214.99. 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 market cap of $33.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.38, a P/E/G 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 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 firm posted $3.19 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were paid a $1.01 dividend. This represents a $4.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.20%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 7th. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 108.60%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director William T. Giles purchased 1,000 shares of the business’s 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 approximately $272,688.57. This trade represents a 215.98 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 12.19% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on STZ. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on Constellation Brands from $293.00 to $289.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Roth Capital lowered their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $298.00 to $284.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Constellation Brands from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $220.00 to $202.00 in a report on Thursday, February 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $203.00 target price (down previously from $262.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on Constellation Brands from $205.00 to $203.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $249.18.

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.