Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Acquires Shares of 4,282 Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new stake in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 4,282 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $946,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,144,428 shares of the company's stock worth $1,841,048,000 after buying an additional 402,211 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its stake in Constellation Brands by 1.2% in the third quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 1,853,081 shares of the company's stock worth $477,515,000 after acquiring an additional 21,454 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Constellation Brands by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,782,964 shares of the company's stock worth $394,035,000 after acquiring an additional 38,786 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its holdings in Constellation Brands by 1,844.7% during the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 924,274 shares of the company's stock worth $204,265,000 after acquiring an additional 876,745 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Constellation Brands during the 4th quarter valued at about $105,766,000. Institutional investors own 77.34% of the company's stock.

Constellation Brands Stock Performance

Shares of Constellation Brands stock traded up $3.06 on Monday, reaching $180.48. 2,071,778 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,572,978. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a twelve month low of $160.46 and a twelve month high of $274.87. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $177.22 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $216.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.52, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.90.

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Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 10th. The company reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 analysts' expectations of $2.53 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.19 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a $1.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $4.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.24%. Constellation Brands's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 108.60%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on STZ. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $203.00 price objective (down from $262.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Argus cut Constellation Brands from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $201.00 price target (down from $310.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Barclays dropped their price objective on Constellation Brands from $214.00 to $205.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Constellation Brands from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $220.00 to $202.00 in a report on Thursday, February 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $250.41.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director William T. Giles purchased 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, January 17th. The stock was bought 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 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 12.19% of the company's stock.

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.