Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) Stock Rating Lowered by Morgan Stanley

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) was downgraded by Morgan Stanley from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research report issued on Thursday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have a $202.00 target price on the stock, down from their previous target price of $220.00. Morgan Stanley’s price target points to a potential upside of 14.94% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Argus cut shares of Constellation Brands from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Roth Capital dropped their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $298.00 to $284.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $203.00 target price (down from $262.00) on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, January 13th. Evercore ISI lowered their target price on Constellation Brands from $300.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Constellation Brands from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $253.43.

Constellation Brands Stock Up 1.4 %

Constellation Brands stock opened at $175.74 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $31.76 billion, a PE ratio of 47.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.75. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $189.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $223.72. Constellation Brands has a 12 month low of $160.46 and a 12 month high of $274.87.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Constellation Brands news, Director William T. Giles purchased 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 17th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $186.39 per share, for a total transaction of $186,390.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,463 shares in the company, valued at approximately $272,688.57. This trade represents a 215.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 12.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Constellation Brands

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Berkshire Hathaway Inc purchased a new stake in Constellation Brands during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,242,976,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Constellation Brands in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $445,883,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 13.3% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 15,534,787 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,433,188,000 after purchasing an additional 1,821,969 shares during the last quarter. D1 Capital Partners L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 186.6% during the fourth quarter. D1 Capital Partners L.P. now owns 1,527,689 shares of the company’s stock worth $337,619,000 after purchasing an additional 994,639 shares during the period. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp grew its position in Constellation Brands by 1,844.7% in the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 924,274 shares of the company’s stock valued at $204,265,000 after buying an additional 876,745 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.34% 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.