Guidance Capital Inc. Takes Position in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)

Guidance Capital Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 971 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $251,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC increased its position in Constellation Brands by 34.6% during the third quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 4,432 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,114,000 after acquiring an additional 1,140 shares during the period. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Constellation Brands during the third quarter worth approximately $288,000. Fred Alger Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,914,000. Gotham Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 75.1% in the third quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 11,740 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,951,000 after buying an additional 5,037 shares during the period. Finally, Darsana Capital Partners LP grew its position in Constellation Brands by 288.9% during the third quarter. Darsana Capital Partners LP now owns 875,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $219,914,000 after buying an additional 650,000 shares in the last quarter. 77.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Constellation Brands Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:STZ traded up $1.37 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $257.28. 1,518,776 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,102,593. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.43, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.75. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a twelve month low of $227.50 and a twelve month high of $274.87. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $255.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $253.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.19.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 11th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.16. Constellation Brands had a return on equity of 23.06% and a net margin of 16.13%. The company had revenue of $2.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.09 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.98 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 3rd were given a dividend of $1.01 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 2nd. This is a boost from Constellation Brands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. This represents a $4.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.57%. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio is 43.07%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on STZ. Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Constellation Brands from $290.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $256.00 to $262.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $320.00 to $315.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, June 20th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Constellation Brands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $306.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, April 15th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Constellation Brands presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $298.37.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Constellation Brands news, EVP Michael Mcgrew sold 3,237 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.50, for a total transaction of $827,053.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 1,731 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $442,270.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Constellation Brands news, EVP James A. Jr. Sabia sold 15,781 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.63, for a total value of $4,160,345.03. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,910 shares in the company, valued at $5,512,503.30. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael Mcgrew sold 3,237 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction on Friday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.50, for a total transaction of $827,053.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 1,731 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $442,270.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 48,031 shares of company stock valued at $12,582,321 over the last quarter. Insiders own 12.19% of the company’s stock.

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.