Short Interest in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) Rises By 58.3%

by · The Markets Daily

Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ – Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 4,020,000 shares, a growth of 58.3% from the February 13th total of 2,540,000 shares. Approximately 2.9% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 2,620,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.5 days.

Constellation Brands Trading Down 0.1 %

Constellation Brands stock traded down $0.13 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $181.46. The company had a trading volume of 1,650,539 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,539,634. The firm has a market cap of $32.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 1.10. Constellation Brands has a 1 year low of $160.46 and a 1 year high of $274.87. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $180.58 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $219.23.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 10th. The company reported $3.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.33 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $2.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.53 billion. Constellation Brands had a net margin of 6.27% and a return on equity of 26.55%. Constellation Brands’s quarterly revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.19 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Constellation Brands will post 13.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a $1.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $4.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.23%. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio is currently 108.60%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director William T. Giles acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 17th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $186.39 per share, with a total value of $186,390.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 1,463 shares in the company, valued at approximately $272,688.57. The trade was a 215.98 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 12.19% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Constellation Brands

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of STZ. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV raised its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 37.1% in the 3rd quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 1,366 shares of the company’s stock valued at $352,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. Empower Advisory Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 8.2% during the 3rd quarter. Empower Advisory Group LLC now owns 1,330 shares of the company’s stock worth $343,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. raised its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 35.0% during the 3rd quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 12,802 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,299,000 after acquiring an additional 3,321 shares in the last quarter. Curi RMB Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 30.5% during the 3rd quarter. Curi RMB Capital LLC now owns 1,674 shares of the company’s stock worth $431,000 after acquiring an additional 391 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Metis Global Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 5,570 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,435,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 77.34% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on STZ shares. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $201.00 price objective (down from $310.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Monday, January 13th. TD Cowen decreased their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $270.00 to $260.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Argus downgraded shares of Constellation Brands from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $203.00 price target (down from $262.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $240.00 price target on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Monday, January 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Constellation Brands presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $252.81.

View Our Latest Analysis on Constellation Brands

About Constellation Brands

(Get Free Report)

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.

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