Tufton Capital Management Sells 285 Shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)

Tufton Capital Management lowered its stake in shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) by 12.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,065 shares of the company’s stock after selling 285 shares during the period. Tufton Capital Management’s holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $456,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Constellation Brands by 6.0% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,144,428 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,841,048,000 after buying an additional 402,211 shares during the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 1,853,081 shares of the company’s stock valued at $477,515,000 after purchasing an additional 21,454 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 1,844.7% during the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 924,274 shares of the company’s stock valued at $204,265,000 after purchasing an additional 876,745 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service lifted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 13.6% during the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 381,755 shares of the company’s stock valued at $98,374,000 after purchasing an additional 45,707 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 66.3% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 369,966 shares of the company’s stock valued at $81,762,000 after purchasing an additional 147,457 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 77.34% of the company’s stock.

Constellation Brands Stock Down 2.8 %

Shares of Constellation Brands stock opened at $173.43 on Friday. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a one year low of $160.46 and a one year high of $274.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $190.04 and its 200 day moving average is $224.16. The firm has a market cap of $31.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.62, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.75.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 10th. The company reported $3.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.33 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $2.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.53 billion. Constellation Brands had a return on equity of 26.55% and a net margin of 6.27%. The firm’s revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.19 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.5 EPS for the current year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a $1.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $4.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.33%. Constellation Brands’s payout ratio is currently 108.60%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on STZ shares. StockNews.com cut Constellation Brands from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $240.00 price objective on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, January 27th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $293.00 price objective on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, February 3rd. UBS Group cut their price objective on Constellation Brands from $265.00 to $223.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, BNP Paribas started coverage on Constellation Brands in a research report on Monday, November 25th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $261.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $253.43.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Constellation Brands news, Director William T. Giles purchased 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 17th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $186.39 per share, with a total value of $186,390.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,463 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $272,688.57. The trade was a 215.98 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 12.19% 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.