Morgan Stanley Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) Stock Price

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ - Get Free Report) had its price objective reduced by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $280.00 to $220.00 in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley's target price indicates a potential upside of 18.38% from the company's previous close.

Several other research firms also recently commented on STZ. Bank of America reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $255.00 price objective (down from $300.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, October 7th. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on Constellation Brands from $315.00 to $305.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Roth Mkm reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $298.00 price target on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Friday, October 4th. Finally, BNP Paribas initiated coverage on Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, November 25th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $261.00 price objective on the stock. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $268.05.

Constellation Brands Trading Up 2.2 %

NYSE STZ traded up $4.03 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $185.84. 5,460,613 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,259,343. Constellation Brands has a 1-year low of $176.51 and a 1-year high of $274.87. The firm has a market cap of $33.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.14, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.75. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $230.80 and a 200 day simple moving average of $240.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 10th. The company reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.33 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $2.46 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.53 billion. Constellation Brands had a return on equity of 25.34% and a net margin of 5.29%. Constellation Brands's quarterly revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.19 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Constellation Brands will post 13.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Constellation Brands news, CEO William A. Newlands sold 7,426 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $237.24, for a total transaction of $1,761,744.24. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 7,274 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,725,683.76. This trade represents a 50.52 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP James A. Jr. Sabia sold 36,086 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $242.99, for a total transaction of $8,768,537.14. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,042 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,898,045.58. The trade was a 69.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 188,446 shares of company stock worth $45,687,281 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 12.19% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Constellation Brands

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in STZ. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the 2nd quarter valued at about $36,000. Eastern Bank purchased a new position in Constellation Brands in the third quarter worth $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew 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 worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Constellation Brands during the third quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD purchased a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands during the 2nd quarter valued at $57,000. 77.34% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.