Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. Trims Position in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)

Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. trimmed its stake in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) by 15.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,953 shares of the company’s stock after selling 350 shares during the period. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc.’s holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $433,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in STZ. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in Constellation Brands by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 7,357 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,626,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the period. BSW Wealth Partners grew its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. BSW Wealth Partners now owns 1,563 shares of the company’s stock valued at $345,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the period. Philip James Wealth Mangement LLC increased its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 8.0% in the 4th quarter. Philip James Wealth Mangement LLC now owns 923 shares of the company’s stock valued at $204,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Oak Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Constellation Brands by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Oak Asset Management LLC now owns 17,611 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,892,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. Finally, Barden Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Constellation Brands by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Barden Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,574 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,232,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. 77.34% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on STZ shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Constellation Brands from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $203.00 price target (down previously from $262.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, January 13th. Roth Capital decreased their price objective on shares of Constellation Brands from $298.00 to $284.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 17th. Needham & Company LLC cut their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $240.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $205.00 to $203.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Constellation Brands currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $249.18.

Constellation Brands Stock Performance

NYSE:STZ opened at $183.69 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $177.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $214.50. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 1-year low of $160.46 and a 1-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 firm has a market capitalization of $33.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.38, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.75.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last issued 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). Constellation Brands had a return on equity of 26.55% and a net margin of 6.27%. The business had revenue of $2.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.53 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.19 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.5 EPS for the current year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a $1.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $4.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.20%. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 108.60%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Constellation Brands

In related news, Director William T. Giles purchased 1,000 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 17th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $186.39 per share, with a total value of $186,390.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 1,463 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $272,688.57. The trade was a 215.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 12.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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 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.