Bluesphere Advisors LLC Takes $411,000 Position in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)

Bluesphere Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 1,700 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $411,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of STZ. BKM Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Asset Dedication LLC raised its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 3,833.3% in the 3rd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 118 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Constellation Brands during the third quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in Constellation Brands in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.34% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on STZ. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on Constellation Brands from $300.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 12th. Argus raised shares of Constellation Brands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $306.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, April 15th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $305.00 price target on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Friday, April 12th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $312.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 12th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Constellation Brands from $290.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Constellation Brands currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $298.55.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO William A. Newlands sold 4,013 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.25, for a total value of $1,056,422.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 5,395 shares in the company, valued at $1,420,233.75. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Constellation Brands news, EVP James A. Jr. Sabia sold 15,781 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.63, for a total value of $4,160,345.03. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,910 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,512,503.30. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO William A. Newlands sold 4,013 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.25, for a total value of $1,056,422.25. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 5,395 shares in the company, valued at $1,420,233.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 16.19% of the company’s stock.

Constellation Brands Stock Up 0.3 %

NYSE STZ traded up $0.68 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $260.72. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 205,987 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,240,577. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 52 week low of $221.81 and a 52 week high of $274.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $259.80 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $248.08. The company has a market capitalization of $47.66 billion, a PE ratio of 27.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.97.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 11th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.16. Constellation Brands had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 23.06%. The firm had revenue of $2.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.09 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.98 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 3rd will be given a dividend of $1.01 per share. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.55%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 2nd. This is a boost from Constellation Brands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio is currently 37.95%.

Constellation Brands 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 Premier, Corona Familiar, Corona Light, Corona Refresca, Corona Hard Seltzer, Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra, Modelo Chelada, Victoria, Vicky Chamoy, and Pacifico brands.