Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) Short Interest Down 15.3% in January

Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,610,000 shares, a drop of 15.3% from the December 31st total of 3,080,000 shares. Currently, 1.9% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 1,830,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.4 days.

Constellation Brands Stock Down 3.6 %

Shares of NYSE:STZ traded down $6.49 during trading on Monday, hitting $174.31. The stock had a trading volume of 4,398,200 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,922,706. Constellation Brands has a 12 month low of $166.02 and a 12 month high of $274.87. The company has a market capitalization of $31.50 billion, a PE ratio of 46.86, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.90. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $215.42 and its 200 day moving average is $233.76. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last announced 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). The company had revenue of $2.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.53 billion. Constellation Brands had a return on equity of 26.55% and a net margin of 6.27%. Constellation Brands’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.19 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Constellation Brands will post 13.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be issued a dividend of $1.01 per share. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.32%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 7th. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 108.60%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Constellation Brands

In other news, CEO William A. Newlands sold 25,000 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 7,274 shares in the company, valued at $1,771,800.92. The trade was a 77.46 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director William T. Giles bought 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 17th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $186.39 per share, for a total transaction of $186,390.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly 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 disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 61,746 shares of company stock worth $15,017,097. 12.19% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of STZ. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA acquired a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new position in Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 887.5% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period. Centricity Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Constellation Brands during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Eastern Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the third quarter valued at about $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.34% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on STZ shares. Piper Sandler lowered shares of Constellation Brands from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $245.00 to $200.00 in a research note on Monday. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, November 25th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $261.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com downgraded Constellation Brands from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Argus downgraded Constellation Brands from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Constellation Brands from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Constellation Brands has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $254.29.

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.