Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) Reaches New 12-Month Low – Time to Sell?

Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $224.72 and last traded at $224.72, with a volume of 169137 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $227.63.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

STZ has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TD Cowen cut shares of Constellation Brands from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $300.00 to $270.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. BNP Paribas began coverage on Constellation Brands in a research report on Monday, November 25th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $261.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group decreased their target price on Constellation Brands from $320.00 to $295.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 9th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $298.00 price target on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Friday, October 4th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $280.00 price objective on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Friday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Constellation Brands has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $288.70.

Constellation Brands Stock Down 1.3 %

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 stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $237.87 and a 200 day simple moving average of $245.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.78 billion, a PE ratio of 72.69, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.90.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 3rd. The company reported $4.32 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.08 by $0.24. The company had revenue of $2.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.95 billion. Constellation Brands had a net margin of 5.29% and a return on equity of 25.34%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.70 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Constellation Brands Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 5th were paid a $1.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 5th. This represents a $4.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.80%. Constellation Brands’s payout ratio is presently 130.74%.

Insider Activity at Constellation Brands

In other news, EVP Samuel J. Glaetzer sold 1,510 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.57, for a total value of $370,810.70. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,970 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,220,482.90. This trade represents a 23.30 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 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 transaction of $159,060.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,736,884 shares in the company, valued at $418,589,044. This represents a 0.04 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 189,956 shares of company stock worth $46,058,091 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 12.19% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Constellation Brands

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Copley Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Constellation Brands in the third quarter worth about $455,000. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas purchased a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $223,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB increased its position in Constellation Brands by 260.7% during the 3rd quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 20,495 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,281,000 after buying an additional 14,813 shares in the last quarter. Arvest Bank Trust Division bought a new position in Constellation Brands during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $243,000. Finally, World Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in Constellation Brands by 36.6% during the third quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,550 shares of the company’s stock valued at $657,000 after buying an additional 683 shares during the last quarter. 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.