Northcape Wealth Management LLC Lowers Holdings in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)

Northcape Wealth Management LLC trimmed its position in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) by 3.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,956 shares of the company’s stock after selling 389 shares during the quarter. Northcape Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $2,407,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. BKM Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Constellation Brands during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Asset Dedication LLC boosted its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 3,833.3% in the third quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 118 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the third quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new position in Constellation Brands during the fourth quarter worth approximately $45,000. 77.34% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP James A. Jr. Sabia sold 15,781 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.63, for a total value of $4,160,345.03. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 20,910 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,512,503.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, EVP James A. Jr. Sabia sold 15,781 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.63, for a total value of $4,160,345.03. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 20,910 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,512,503.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO William A. Newlands sold 4,013 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.25, for a total value of $1,056,422.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 5,395 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,420,233.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 16.19% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on STZ. TheStreet downgraded Constellation Brands from a “b” rating to a “c+” rating in a research report on Friday, January 5th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Constellation Brands from $292.00 to $314.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Bank of America raised their target price on Constellation Brands from $290.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 18th. Barclays raised their target price on Constellation Brands from $294.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 15th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on Constellation Brands from $312.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $298.55.

Constellation Brands Stock Performance

STZ stock traded down $7.73 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $253.46. The company had a trading volume of 1,757,367 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,252,538. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.97. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a one year low of $221.81 and a one year high of $274.87. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $260.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $248.31.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 11th. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $2.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.09 billion. Constellation Brands had a return on equity of 23.06% and a net margin of 16.13%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.98 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.51 EPS for the current year.

Constellation Brands Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 17th. Investors of record on Friday, May 3rd will be paid a $1.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 2nd. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.59%. This is a boost from Constellation Brands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.95%.

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.