Van ECK Associates Corp Increases Stake in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)

Van ECK Associates Corp grew its stake in shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ - Free Report) by 1,844.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 924,274 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 876,745 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp owned 0.51% of Constellation Brands worth $204,265,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in STZ. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA purchased a new position in Constellation Brands in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in Constellation Brands by 887.5% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 158 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Eastern Bank purchased a new position in Constellation Brands in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Constellation Brands in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Constellation Brands in the 4th quarter worth approximately $55,000. 77.34% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Constellation Brands Trading Down 0.3 %

STZ stock traded down $0.51 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $162.69. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,275,437 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,890,610. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 1.10. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $201.35 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $228.31. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 1 year low of $160.46 and a 1 year high of $274.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.73, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.90.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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 return on equity of 26.55% and a net margin of 6.27%. The firm had revenue of $2.46 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.19 EPS. Constellation Brands's quarterly revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.5 EPS for the current year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be given a dividend of $1.01 per share. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.48%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 7th. Constellation Brands's payout ratio is 108.60%.

Insider Transactions at Constellation Brands

In related news, major shareholder Wildstar Partners Llc sold 660 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.00, for a total transaction of $159,060.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 1,736,884 shares of the company's stock, valued at $418,589,044. This trade represents a 0.04 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director William T. Giles purchased 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, January 17th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $186.39 per share, with a total value of $186,390.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 1,463 shares of the company's stock, valued at $272,688.57. The trade was a 215.98 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 12.19% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on STZ shares. Barclays lowered their price target on Constellation Brands from $282.00 to $214.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. StockNews.com raised Constellation Brands from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Constellation Brands from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on Constellation Brands from $270.00 to $260.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, BNP Paribas started coverage on Constellation Brands in a research note on Monday, November 25th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $261.00 price objective on the stock. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Constellation Brands presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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.