Sapient Capital LLC Buys Shares of 2,299 Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)

Sapient Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm purchased 2,299 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $556,000.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 18.8% in the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 10,291 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,586,000 after buying an additional 1,629 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its position in Constellation Brands by 0.7% in the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 59,892 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,053,000 after acquiring an additional 420 shares in the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. grew its position in Constellation Brands by 16.3% in the third quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 1,750 shares of the company’s stock worth $440,000 after acquiring an additional 245 shares in the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. lifted its stake in Constellation Brands by 5.7% in the third quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 5,437 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,367,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Chatham Capital Group Inc. bought a new stake in Constellation Brands in the third quarter worth about $204,000. 77.34% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Constellation Brands

In other Constellation Brands news, CEO William A. Newlands sold 4,013 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.25, for a total value of $1,056,422.25. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 5,395 shares in the company, valued at $1,420,233.75. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Constellation Brands news, EVP James A. Jr. Sabia sold 15,781 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.63, for a total value of $4,160,345.03. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,910 shares in the company, valued at $5,512,503.30. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO William A. Newlands sold 4,013 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction on Friday, April 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.25, for a total value of $1,056,422.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 5,395 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,420,233.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 16.19% of the company’s stock.

Constellation Brands Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE:STZ opened at $256.08 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $260.83 and its 200-day moving average is $248.87. The company has a market capitalization of $46.86 billion, a PE ratio of 27.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.19. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 52 week low of $221.81 and a 52 week high of $274.87.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 11th. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $2.14 billion during 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%. Constellation Brands’s revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.98 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 3rd will be given a dividend of $1.01 per share. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.58%. This is a boost from Constellation Brands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 2nd. Constellation Brands’s payout ratio is 43.07%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on STZ. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $292.00 to $314.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Constellation Brands from $290.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 18th. Wedbush restated an “outperform” rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Friday, March 22nd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $300.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Argus raised shares of Constellation Brands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $306.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 15th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Constellation Brands currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $298.55.

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 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.