Needham & Company LLC Reaffirms Buy Rating for Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ)

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating reaffirmed by Needham & Company LLC in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $280.00 price target on the stock. Needham & Company LLC's price target would indicate a potential upside of 54.21% from the stock's previous close.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Barclays decreased their price target on Constellation Brands from $300.00 to $282.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Constellation Brands from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, November 25th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $261.00 target price on the stock. Evercore ISI cut their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $310.00 to $300.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 4th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on Constellation Brands from $315.00 to $305.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $284.75.

Constellation Brands Stock Down 17.2 %

Shares of NYSE STZ traded down $37.71 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $181.57. 8,696,409 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,890,933. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $232.90 and a 200 day simple moving average of $242.14. Constellation Brands has a twelve month low of $179.55 and a twelve month high of $274.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 58.76, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.75.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 10th. The company reported $3.25 earnings per share 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 analyst estimates of $2.53 billion. Constellation Brands had a return on equity of 25.34% and a net margin of 5.29%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.19 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Constellation Brands will post 13.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Constellation Brands

In other news, EVP Samuel J. Glaetzer sold 1,510 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.57, for a total transaction of $370,810.70. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 4,970 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,220,482.90. This represents a 23.30 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, major shareholder Wildstar Partners Llc sold 660 shares of the business'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 $418,589,044. The trade was a 0.04 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 189,956 shares of company stock valued at $46,058,091. Corporate insiders own 12.19% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Constellation Brands

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in Constellation Brands by 887.5% in the 4th 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. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands during the second quarter worth about $36,000. Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the 3rd quarter worth about $39,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Constellation Brands during the 3rd quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD bought a new stake in Constellation Brands during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $57,000. Institutional investors own 77.34% 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.