R Squared Ltd Purchases Shares of 620 Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)

R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 620 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $137,000.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA bought a new stake in Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Eastern Bank bought a new stake in Constellation Brands in the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in Constellation Brands by 887.5% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Constellation Brands during the 3rd quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new position in Constellation Brands during the third quarter worth $60,000. 77.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Constellation Brands Stock Down 0.4 %

STZ stock opened at $182.41 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.91. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average price of $218.87 and a 200-day moving average price of $235.16. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 12 month low of $176.51 and a 12 month high of $274.87.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 10th. The company reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.33 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $2.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.53 billion. Constellation Brands had a net margin of 6.27% and a return on equity of 26.55%. Constellation Brands’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.19 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced 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 of this dividend is Friday, February 7th. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.21%. Constellation Brands’s payout ratio is presently 108.60%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP James A. Jr. Sabia sold 36,086 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,042 shares in the company, valued at $3,898,045.58. This trade represents a 69.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director William T. Giles bought 1,000 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction on Friday, January 17th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $186.39 per share, for a total transaction of $186,390.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 1,463 shares in the company, valued at approximately $272,688.57. The trade was a 215.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 61,746 shares of company stock valued at $15,017,097. 12.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $255.00 to $190.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and set a $255.00 price objective (down from $300.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $201.00 target price (down previously from $310.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Monday, January 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $203.00 price target (down from $262.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, January 13th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Constellation Brands from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Constellation Brands has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $257.14.

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.