Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) Earns Neutral Rating from Analysts at BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage issued a neutral rating and a $261.00 price objective on the stock.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on STZ. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $307.00 to $293.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 4th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price 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. UBS Group reduced their price target on Constellation Brands from $320.00 to $295.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 9th. Bank of America restated 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. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their target price on Constellation Brands from $310.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 4th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $289.16.

Constellation Brands Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of Constellation Brands stock opened at $235.97 on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $242.12 and a 200 day moving average price of $247.00. 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 has a twelve month low of $224.76 and a twelve month high of $274.87. The stock has a market cap of $42.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 76.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.90.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 3rd. The company reported $4.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.08 by $0.24. The business had revenue of $2.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.95 billion. Constellation Brands had a return on equity of 25.34% and a net margin of 5.29%. The company’s revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.70 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Constellation Brands will post 13.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 5th were paid a $1.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 5th. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.71%. Constellation Brands’s payout ratio is currently 130.74%.

Insider Transactions at Constellation Brands

In related news, EVP James A. Jr. Sabia sold 36,086 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $242.99, for a total value of $8,768,537.14. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,042 shares in the company, valued at $3,898,045.58. This trade represents a 69.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert Sands sold 119,274 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $242.37, for a total value of $28,908,439.38. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 431,729 shares in the company, valued at approximately $104,638,157.73. This trade represents a 21.65 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 189,956 shares of company stock worth $46,058,091. 12.19% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Constellation Brands

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. New Millennium Group LLC acquired a new stake in Constellation Brands in the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in Constellation Brands during the second quarter worth about $29,000. Horizon Bancorp Inc. IN bought a new stake in Constellation Brands in the second quarter worth about $32,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Constellation Brands in the 2nd quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Constellation Brands during the 2nd quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.34% of the company’s stock.

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.