Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) Stock Price Expected to Rise, UBS Group Analyst Says

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ - Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by analysts at UBS Group from $195.00 to $205.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the stock. UBS Group's price target points to a potential upside of 18.76% from the stock's previous close.

Several other research analysts have also commented on the company. Bernstein Bank lowered their price target on Constellation Brands from $260.00 to $225.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Roth Mkm lowered their target price on Constellation Brands from $284.00 to $256.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Constellation Brands from $170.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $225.00 price target on shares of Constellation Brands and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, June 27th. Finally, CJS Securities dropped their price objective on shares of Constellation Brands from $196.00 to $194.00 in a report on Monday, May 19th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $213.35.

Constellation Brands Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:STZ traded down $1.26 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $172.61. 1,808,258 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,910,866. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $177.66 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $184.47. Constellation Brands has a fifty-two week low of $159.35 and a fifty-two week high of $264.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.56. The stock has a market cap of $30.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -72.22, a P/E/G ratio of 9.64 and a beta of 0.67.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 1st. The company reported $3.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.45 by ($0.23). The company had revenue of $2.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.57 billion. Constellation Brands had a negative net margin of 4.11% and a positive return on equity of 31.41%. Constellation Brands's revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.57 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Constellation Brands will post 13.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Samuel J. Glaetzer sold 3,150 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.54, for a total transaction of $593,901.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,126 shares in the company, valued at approximately $589,376.04. This trade represents a 50.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 12.45% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Constellation Brands

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of STZ. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Constellation Brands by 18.6% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 18,417,604 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,379,999,000 after purchasing an additional 2,882,817 shares during the period. Capital World Investors increased its position in Constellation Brands by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 9,755,602 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,155,946,000 after acquiring an additional 324,690 shares during the period. Berkshire Hathaway Inc purchased a new stake in Constellation Brands during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,242,976,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in Constellation Brands by 127.9% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,480,788 shares of the company's stock valued at $822,314,000 after acquiring an additional 2,514,517 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Constellation Brands by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,204,003 shares of the company's stock worth $705,844,000 after acquiring an additional 63,323 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.