Scholtz & Company LLC Cuts Stake in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)

Scholtz & Company LLC cut its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) by 11.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,488 shares of the company’s stock after selling 200 shares during the quarter. Scholtz & Company LLC’s holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $329,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Mainstream Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Constellation Brands during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA bought a new stake in Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA purchased a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 887.5% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. 77.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on STZ shares. StockNews.com lowered shares of Constellation Brands from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, March 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $203.00 target price (down from $262.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, January 13th. Morgan Stanley downgraded Constellation Brands from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $220.00 to $202.00 in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price target on Constellation Brands from $240.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Constellation Brands from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $249.18.

Constellation Brands Price Performance

STZ stock opened at $184.98 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 1.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.73, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.75. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $177.22 and a 200-day moving average price of $213.55. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 52-week low of $160.46 and a 52-week high of $274.87.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 6.27% and a return on equity of 26.55%. The company had revenue of $2.46 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.53 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.19 earnings per share. Constellation Brands’s revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a dividend of $1.01 per share. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.18%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 7th. Constellation Brands’s payout ratio is 108.60%.

Insider Activity at Constellation Brands

In other Constellation Brands news, Director William T. Giles bought 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 17th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $186.39 per share, for a total transaction of $186,390.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 1,463 shares in the company, valued at approximately $272,688.57. This trade represents a 215.98 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 12.19% of the stock is owned by 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.