Mediolanum International Funds Ltd Cuts Stock Position in Constellation Brands Inc $STZ

Mediolanum International Funds Ltd decreased its position in shares of Constellation Brands Inc (NYSE:STZ) by 4.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 90,450 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,955 shares during the period. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd owned about 0.05% of Constellation Brands worth $13,658,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of STZ. Capital International Investors lifted its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 48.5% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 6,442,600 shares of the company’s stock worth $888,930,000 after purchasing an additional 2,105,546 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $267,798,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake in Constellation Brands by 650.6% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,769,741 shares of the company’s stock worth $287,889,000 after buying an additional 1,533,961 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in Constellation Brands by 14.0% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 6,018,653 shares of the company’s stock worth $830,333,000 after buying an additional 739,393 shares during the period. Finally, Pzena Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Constellation Brands during the 4th quarter worth approximately $81,381,000. 77.34% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Constellation Brands Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of Constellation Brands stock opened at $133.16 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. Constellation Brands Inc has a 52-week low of $126.45 and a 52-week high of $178.13. The company has a market capitalization of $22.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.71, a P/E/G ratio of 4.14 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a 50 day moving average of $140.50 and a 200 day moving average of $149.57.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 30th. The company reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.70 by ($0.27). Constellation Brands had a net margin of 18.87% and a return on equity of 25.58%. The firm had revenue of $2.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.39 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.22 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. Constellation Brands has set its FY 2027 guidance at 11.200-11.900 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Constellation Brands Inc will post 11.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 30th will be paid a $1.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 30th. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.31%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Constellation Brands news, EVP James O. Bourdeau sold 4,407 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.24, for a total transaction of $631,258.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 9,109 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,304,773.16. The trade was a 32.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 12.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

STZ has been the subject of several recent research reports. Evercore set a $175.00 price target on shares of Constellation Brands and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Freedom Capital lowered Constellation Brands from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Constellation Brands from $186.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. Piper Sandler reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $160.00 target price on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $185.00 target price on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Constellation Brands has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $167.89.

Constellation Brands Profile

Constellation Brands, Inc is a leading producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits, with operations spanning production, importation, marketing and distribution. The company’s beverage portfolio includes a range of premium and mainstream wines and spirits alongside major imported beer brands; in the U.S. market Constellation is widely known for its role in bringing Mexican imports such as Corona and Modelo to American consumers. Constellation supplies retail, on?premise and foodservice channels and supports its brands with national sales and marketing platforms and supply?chain capabilities.

The company traces its roots to the Canandaigua Wine Company, founded by Marvin Sands in 1945, and evolved through organic growth and acquisition into a diversified beverage company.