Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) PT Raised to $320.00 at UBS Group

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) had its price objective boosted by UBS Group from $312.00 to $320.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the stock.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Bank of America boosted their price target on Constellation Brands from $290.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, March 18th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Constellation Brands from $290.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $295.00 price objective on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Thursday, March 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Constellation Brands from $309.00 to $301.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 21st. Finally, Argus lowered Constellation Brands from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $298.55.

Constellation Brands Stock Performance

Shares of STZ stock opened at $258.52 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.26 billion, a PE ratio of 27.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.97. Constellation Brands has a 52-week low of $221.81 and a 52-week high of $274.87. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $257.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $247.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 11th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.10 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $2.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.09 billion. Constellation Brands had a return on equity of 23.06% and a net margin of 16.13%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.98 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Constellation Brands will post 13.43 EPS for the current year.

Constellation Brands Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 17th. Investors of record on Friday, May 3rd will be paid a $1.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 2nd. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.56%. This is a positive change from Constellation Brands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.95%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of STZ. Prudential PLC acquired a new position in Constellation Brands in the 1st quarter valued at $705,000. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 17,026 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,921,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 17.6% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,149 shares of the company’s stock worth $725,000 after buying an additional 471 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 2.6% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,601,280 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,902,327,000 after buying an additional 313,344 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ergoteles LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands during the 1st quarter worth $257,000. 77.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Constellation Brands

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 Premier, Corona Familiar, Corona Light, Corona Refresca, Corona Hard Seltzer, Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra, Modelo Chelada, Victoria, Vicky Chamoy, and Pacifico brands.