Swedbank AB Acquires 27,898 Shares of Constellation Brands Inc $STZ

Swedbank AB lifted its holdings in Constellation Brands Inc (NYSE:STZ) by 1,162.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 30,298 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 27,898 shares during the quarter. Swedbank AB’s holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $4,080,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in STZ. AlphaQuest LLC lifted its holdings in Constellation Brands by 350.7% during the 2nd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 5,178 shares of the company’s stock worth $842,000 after purchasing an additional 4,029 shares during the last quarter. Arlington Partners LLC bought a new position in Constellation Brands during the 2nd quarter worth $2,333,000. 49 Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Constellation Brands during the 2nd quarter worth $373,000. Heritage Investors Management Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 6.2% during the second quarter. Heritage Investors Management Corp now owns 146,827 shares of the company’s stock worth $23,886,000 after buying an additional 8,613 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 969.5% in the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 83,656 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,609,000 after acquiring an additional 75,834 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.34% of the company’s stock.

Constellation Brands Stock Performance

Shares of Constellation Brands stock opened at $139.43 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The company has a market cap of $24.41 billion, a PE ratio of 20.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a 50 day moving average of $136.19 and a 200-day moving average of $149.93. Constellation Brands Inc has a 1-year low of $126.45 and a 1-year high of $228.89.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 23rd. The company reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter. Constellation Brands had a net margin of 11.88% and a return on equity of 29.82%. The business had revenue of $2.32 billion during the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Constellation Brands Inc will post 13.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 30th were given a dividend of $1.02 per share. This represents a $4.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 30th. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio is currently 59.56%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on STZ shares. BNP Paribas Exane lowered shares of Constellation Brands from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $123.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, September 3rd. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $150.00 to $147.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Friday, November 7th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $153.00 price target for the company. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $180.00 price target on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Constellation Brands from $176.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $181.96.

About Constellation Brands

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.