Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Boosts Position in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. boosted its position in shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) by 2.4% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 319,198 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,590 shares during the quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. owned approximately 0.17% of Constellation Brands worth $82,123,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Stifel Financial Corp raised its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 192,585 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,570,000 after acquiring an additional 5,951 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV raised its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 100.4% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 250,945 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,666,000 after acquiring an additional 125,730 shares during the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Constellation Brands in the second quarter worth $119,394,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 3.5% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,705,793 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,724,686,000 after acquiring an additional 462,891 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Howland Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 3.0% in the first quarter. Howland Capital Management LLC now owns 141,314 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,403,000 after acquiring an additional 4,051 shares during the last quarter. 77.34% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Constellation Brands Price Performance

Shares of NYSE STZ opened at $248.09 on Friday. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 1-year low of $227.50 and a 1-year high of $274.87. The business has a 50-day moving average of $245.42 and a 200-day moving average of $253.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The company has a market capitalization of $45.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.49, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.75.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 3rd. The company reported $3.57 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.46 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $2.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.67 billion. Constellation Brands had a return on equity of 23.72% and a net margin of 22.70%. Constellation Brands’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.91 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 23rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 14th were issued a $1.01 dividend. This represents a $4.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.63%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 14th. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.10%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on STZ. Roth Mkm cut their price target on Constellation Brands from $303.00 to $298.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $315.00 price target on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Friday, July 5th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Constellation Brands from $305.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 26th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $308.00 target price on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Tuesday, September 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Constellation Brands from $310.00 to $311.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Constellation Brands presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $296.78.

Insider Activity at Constellation Brands

In other Constellation Brands news, EVP Kaneenat Kristann Carey sold 977 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.00, for a total transaction of $254,997.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 2,706 shares in the company, valued at $706,266. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other news, Director Daniel J. Mccarthy sold 1,854 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $252.43, for a total transaction of $468,005.22. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 3,232 shares in the company, valued at approximately $815,853.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Kaneenat Kristann Carey sold 977 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.00, for a total value of $254,997.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 2,706 shares in the company, valued at $706,266. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 16,414 shares of company stock valued at $3,982,922. Insiders own 12.19% of the company’s stock.

Constellation Brands Company Profile

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.