Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) Stock Holdings Increased by Empowered Funds LLC

Empowered Funds LLC boosted its stake in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ - Free Report) by 62.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 16,575 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 6,391 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC's holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $3,663,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new stake in Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in Constellation Brands in the third quarter valued at $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Constellation Brands in the third quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Constellation Brands in the third quarter valued at $60,000. 77.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Constellation Brands Price Performance

STZ traded down $0.51 on Friday, reaching $162.69. The company had a trading volume of 2,275,437 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,890,610. The company has a fifty day moving average of $201.35 and a 200-day moving average of $228.31. The company has a market capitalization of $29.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.73, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a one year low of $160.46 and a one year high of $274.87.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ - Get Free Report) last announced its 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). The company had revenue of $2.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.53 billion. Constellation Brands had a net margin of 6.27% and a return on equity of 26.55%. The business's quarterly revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.19 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Constellation Brands Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Constellation Brands

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on STZ shares. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $293.00 price target on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Roth Capital dropped their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $298.00 to $284.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 17th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $280.00 to $220.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 13th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and set a $240.00 target price on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, January 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $203.00 target price (down from $262.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, January 13th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target 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.