Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Cuts Position in Constellation Brands Inc $STZ

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. reduced its position in Constellation Brands Inc (NYSE:STZ) by 1.8% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 306,453 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,569 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $45,968,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of STZ. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 6.1% during the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 867,776 shares of the company’s stock worth $120,300,000 after acquiring an additional 49,625 shares in the last quarter. Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 36.1% in the 4th quarter. Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc. now owns 48,062 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,631,000 after purchasing an additional 12,746 shares in the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 99.1% during the 4th quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 38,489 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,310,000 after purchasing an additional 19,161 shares during the last quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. grew its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 36.8% during the 3rd quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 46,802 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,299,000 after purchasing an additional 12,602 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AIA Group Ltd purchased a new position in Constellation Brands in the 3rd quarter worth $925,000. 77.34% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP James O. Bourdeau sold 4,407 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.24, for a total value of $631,258.68. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 9,109 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,304,773.16. This trade represents a 32.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 12.20% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Evercore set a $175.00 price target on shares of Constellation Brands and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $147.00 price objective on Constellation Brands in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $174.00 target price on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Constellation Brands from $169.00 to $165.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $185.00 price target on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $167.89.

Constellation Brands Price Performance

Shares of Constellation Brands stock opened at $133.87 on Monday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $142.33 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $149.79. Constellation Brands Inc has a 12-month low of $126.45 and a 12-month high of $178.13. The firm has a market cap of $22.86 billion, a PE ratio of 12.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.18 and a beta of 0.39. 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 (NYSE:STZ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 30th. The company reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.70 by ($0.27). The firm had revenue of $2.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.39 billion. Constellation Brands had a net margin of 18.87% and a return on equity of 25.58%. The business’s revenue was down 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.22 earnings per share. Constellation Brands has set its FY 2027 guidance at 11.200-11.900 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Constellation Brands Inc will post 11.82 EPS for the current year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

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

Constellation Brands Company 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.