Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) Shares Sold by WealthPLAN Partners LLC

WealthPLAN Partners LLC decreased its position in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ - Free Report) by 22.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 9,749 shares of the company's stock after selling 2,850 shares during the period. WealthPLAN Partners LLC's holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $2,154,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA purchased a new position in Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new position in shares of Constellation Brands in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in Constellation Brands in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in Constellation Brands by 887.5% in the fourth 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 period. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Constellation Brands during the third quarter worth $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.34% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director William T. Giles purchased 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 17th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $186.39 per share, for a total transaction of $186,390.00. Following 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 12.19% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on STZ shares. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Constellation Brands from $265.00 to $223.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Roth Capital cut their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $298.00 to $284.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $201.00 price objective (down previously from $310.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $280.00 to $220.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $254.29.

Constellation Brands Stock Performance

STZ traded up $3.09 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $172.47. 3,206,581 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,850,917. 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, Inc. has a 1-year low of $160.46 and a 1-year high of $274.87. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $198.25 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $227.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.36, a PEG ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.90.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ - Get Free Report) 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). Constellation Brands had a net margin of 6.27% and a return on equity of 26.55%. The business had revenue of $2.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.19 earnings per share. The business's revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Constellation Brands Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be issued a $1.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 7th. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.34%. Constellation Brands's payout ratio is 108.60%.

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.