Key Takeaways STZ reported fiscal third-quarter 2026 earnings beat despite year-over-year revenue decline.Constellation Brands' Modelo, Corona and Pacifico drive pricing power and margin resilience.Premium wine and spirits Power Brands like The Prisoner and Kim Crawford are poised to fuel growth.Constellation Brands, Inc. (STZ) appears to be seeing tangible benefits from its premium-focused strategy, even in a challenging macro backdrop. In third-quarter fiscal 2026, the company delivered an earnings beat d ...

With a market cap of $26.5 billion, Constellation Brands, Inc. (STZ) is a leading producer, importer, and marketer of beer, wine, and spirits, offering a broad portfolio of well-known brands across the United States, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy. It distributes its products through wholesale distributors, retailers, on-premise locations, and state alcohol beverage control agencies. Shares of the wine, liquor and beer company have underperformed the broader market over the past 52 weeks. STZ sto ...

Constellation Brands has named board director and former Suntory executive Nick Fink as the US group's new CEO. Fink, who joined the board in 2021, will take over from Bill Newlands, who will step down on 13 April, Constellation said in a statement yesterday (12 February). Constellation board chair Chris Baldwin said: “Nick will bring unique perspective and capabilities that will benefit Constellation and its stakeholders as we position the company for long-term success in a rapidly evolving and hyper-co ...

This story was originally published on Food Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Food Dive newsletter. Modelo and Corona owner Constellation Brands appointed board member and former Suntory executive Nicholas Fink as its next president and CEO, effective April 13. He succeeds Bill Newlands, who is stepping down from the role and the company’s board of directors.  Newlands, who worked at Constellation Brands for more than a decade and has been CEO since 2019, will stay with ...

Core Viewpoint - Constellation Brands has announced the appointment of Nicholas Fink as the new President and CEO, effective April 13, 2026, succeeding Bill Newlands, who will transition to a strategic advisor role [1][2][3]. Leadership Transition - Nicholas Fink has been a member of Constellation's Board of Directors since 2021 and is expected to bring a diversified leadership experience and a deep understanding of the company's business model [2]. - Bill Newlands will step down as President and CEO on April 13, 2026, after serving in this role since 2019, and will retire from the Board on the same date [1][4]. Fink's Background - Fink has a proven track record in the beverage alcohol industry, having served as CEO at Fortune Brands Innovations since January 2020, where he led the company through the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerated its digital transformation [2]. - His previous experience includes senior leadership roles at Suntory Global Spirits, where he was responsible for the Asia Pacific and South America regions [2]. Company Performance Under Newlands - Under Bill Newlands' leadership, Constellation Brands consistently ranked among the top growth leaders in the large consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector, with Modelo Especial becoming the 1 selling beer in U.S. dollar sales [4]. - Newlands oversaw the reshaping of the Wine & Spirits portfolio, focusing on higher-end, higher-margin brands aligned with consumer trends [4]. Future Outlook - Fink expressed enthusiasm about joining Constellation Brands and aims to build on the company's strong track record of industry leadership, focusing on brand development and innovation to meet evolving consumer needs [3][4].

Core Insights - Institutional investors are showing renewed interest in Constellation Brands (STZ), reflecting confidence in its premium beverage portfolio and strong cash generation capabilities [1] Institutional Investor Movements - Gotham Asset Management LLC, led by Joel Greenblatt, significantly increased its stake by 56,241 shares, more than doubling its position, indicating strong conviction in STZ's valuation and long-term return potential [2] - Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLC, managed by Jeremy Grantham, added 35,085 shares to its substantial holding, aligning with a preference for high-quality consumer franchises [3] - Bridgewater Associates, LP, under Ray Dalio, increased its position by over 130% with an addition of 11,053 shares, reflecting a shift towards defensive consumer exposure amid macro uncertainty [4] - AQR Capital Management LLC, led by Cliff Asness, added 6,172 shares, maintaining exposure to a company with strong brand equity and disciplined capital allocation [5] - Point72 Asset Management, L.P., managed by Steve Cohen, initiated a new position with 218,718 shares, suggesting tactical positioning around improving fundamentals [6] - Olstein Capital Management, L.P., led by Rob Olstein, opened a new position with 28,500 shares, consistent with a strategy of identifying cash-generative businesses [7] - Maverick Capital Ltd, under Lee Ainslie, initiated a starter position with 8,755 shares, indicating early-stage interest in STZ as a long-term consumer compounder [8] - Berkshire Hathaway Inc., led by Warren Buffett, maintained its massive stake of 13,400,000 shares, underscoring long-term confidence in STZ's pricing power and brand strength [9] - GAMCO Investors, Inc. ET AL, managed by Mario Gabelli, held its position steady, keeping STZ on the value-investing watchlist [10] Summary - The collective movements of these institutional investors highlight a blend of long-term conviction and fresh interest in Constellation Brands, reinforcing its status as a high-quality consumer holding with resilient earnings and competitive advantages [10]

Group 1: Market Trends - Investors are shifting towards consumer staples as tech stocks face sell-offs and skepticism regarding AI capital expenditures [1][3][2] - The market is experiencing a rotation towards risk-off assets, with commodities and consumer staples becoming more attractive [3][2] Group 2: Company Performances - Proctor and Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) has seen a 13% increase in stock price over the last 30 days, driven by productivity savings and a technical breakout above the 200-day SMA [5][6] - Reynolds Consumer Products Inc. (NASDAQ: REYN) reported a nearly 10% stock increase following Q4 2025 earnings, maintaining 21% adjusted EBITDA margins despite aluminum price increases [7][8] - Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ) managed to limit revenue decline to nearly 10% YOY, with stock up over 15% since its fiscal Q3 2026 earnings release, aided by better-than-expected beer operating margins [10][11]

Core Insights - Constellation Brands reported a dramatic turnaround in Q2 FY2026, achieving a net profit of $466 million compared to a loss of $1.2 billion in the same period last year, despite a 15% decline in net sales to $2.481 billion [1][2]. Financial Performance - Net sales decreased by 15% to $2.481 billion, primarily due to declines in the wine and spirits segments [2]. - Operating profit improved significantly to $874 million from a loss of $1.229 billion in the previous year, driven by cost control and asset divestiture [2]. - Net profit reached $466 million, reversing from a net loss of $1.2 billion, with earnings per share (EPS) rising from -$5.86 to $2.17 [2]. Business Segmentation - Beer business generated $2.345 billion in net sales, down 12%, but accounted for 94.5% of total revenue, with strong demand for brands like Corona and Modelo in the U.S. market [3]. - Wine and spirits segment saw a drastic decline in net sales to $136 million, a 47% drop, which was the main reason for the overall sales decline [3]. Strategic Adjustments - The company has focused on divesting non-core assets, selling approximately 30 low-end wine brands for $2.65 billion to E.&J. Gallo, allowing a shift towards high-end wine and spirits [4]. - The beer segment, while experiencing a sales decline, managed to offset some losses through a 3% price increase and a shift towards higher-end products [5]. - Selling, general, and administrative expenses decreased by 22% due to reduced spending after asset divestitures, alongside improved supply chain and logistics efficiency [6]. Challenges Ahead - The wine business is facing a steep decline, with its revenue share dropping from 15% to 5%, and the transition to high-end products has yet to show results [7]. - The spirits segment remains small and lacks competitive strength compared to larger players like Diageo and Brown-Forman [7]. - The beer market is experiencing slower growth, and future expansion may depend on emerging markets, which carry risks related to tariffs and currency fluctuations [7]. Future Outlook - Management is cautiously optimistic for FY2026, projecting a mid-single-digit decline in net sales and a mid-single-digit increase in operating profit [8]. - EPS target is set between $8.50 and $9.00, a significant increase from $7.20 in FY2025 [8]. Strategic Focus - Accelerating high-end product offerings in the wine sector and utilizing data-driven marketing strategies [9]. - Expanding ready-to-drink channels to cater to home consumption trends [9]. - Increasing investments in emerging markets like Mexico and Brazil to replicate U.S. market success [9]. Industry Comparison - Compared to peers, Constellation Brands appears to be lagging in its transformation efforts, with a heavy reliance on its beer business, which constitutes over 90% of its revenue [11]. - Competitors like Diageo and Brown-Forman have stronger positions in the spirits market, while Constellation's wine and spirits segments have not yet developed into significant growth drivers [11].

Core Viewpoint - Constellation Brands reported its Q3 fiscal 2026 results, showing a decline in sales and earnings year over year, primarily due to weak consumer demand trends, despite surpassing analyst estimates for both metrics [2][3]. Financial Performance - Comparable earnings per share (EPS) for Q3 were $3.06, down 6% year over year, but exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.65. Reported EPS was $2.88 compared to $3.39 in the same quarter last year [3]. - Net sales fell 10% year over year to $2.22 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.18 billion. Organic net sales decreased by 2% year over year [3]. Segment Performance - The beer segment's sales decreased by 1% year over year to $2.01 billion, with shipment volumes down 2.2%. Depletions fell 3%, with declines in Modelo Especial (4%), Corona Extra (9%), and Modelo Chelada (2%), partially offset by growth in Pacifico (over 15%) and Victoria (over 13%) [4]. - The wine and spirits segment saw a significant decline of 51% year over year in sales, totaling $213.1 million, impacted by a 70.6% drop in shipment volumes due to divestitures and strategic pricing changes [5]. Margins and Income - Comparable loss for the company was $46.9 million, compared to a loss of $9.2 million in the prior-year quarter, attributed to weak operating income across beer, wine, and spirits [6]. - Operating income for the beer segment decreased by 1% year over year to $763.5 million, with an operating margin increase of 10 basis points to 38% due to favorable pricing [7]. - The wine and spirits segment reported an operating income of $33.7 million, down 65% from the previous year, with an operating margin contraction to 15.8% from 22.1% [8]. Financial Position - As of November 30, 2025, cash and cash equivalents stood at $152.4 million, long-term debt was $10.3 billion, and total shareholders' equity was $7.7 billion. The company generated an operating cash flow of $2.1 billion and an adjusted free cash flow of $1.5 billion in the first nine months of fiscal 2026 [9]. Future Expectations - Management projects an enterprise organic net sales decrease of 4-6% for fiscal 2026, with beer segment net sales expected to decline by 2-4% and wine and spirits segment net sales anticipated to drop by 17-20% [12]. - The company expects a reported operating income increase of 657-677% for fiscal 2026, while comparable operating income is projected to decline by 9-11% [13]. - Comparable EPS guidance for fiscal 2026 is set at $11.30-$11.60, with fiscal 2026 EPS expected to be $9.72-$10.02 [14]. Market Sentiment - There has been a downward trend in estimates, with the consensus estimate shifting down by 13.46% recently [16]. - Constellation Brands holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating expectations for an in-line return from the stock in the coming months [18].

Core Insights - The U.S. equity markets reached new all-time highs in Q4 2025, with the S&P 500 Index increasing by 2.66% and the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index rising by 1.10% [1] - Value stocks outperformed growth stocks during this period, and the U.S. economy demonstrated resilience [1] - Artificial intelligence emerged as a significant theme, with over 300 S&P 500 companies mentioning "AI" in earnings calls, positively impacting mega-cap tech stocks [1] - Concerns were raised regarding AI revenue circularity, capital spending, and long-term investment returns [1] - The Composite returned 1.45% pure gross of fees (0.95% net of fees), underperforming the Russell 1000 Value Index's 3.8% gain and the S&P 500 Index's 2.66% gain [1] Company Analysis: Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) - Constellation Brands, Inc. is a leading U.S.-based manufacturer of beer, wine, and spirits, with a market capitalization of $27.963 billion [2] - The stock closed at $160.62 per share on February 3, 2026, delivering a 14.33% return in the past month, but down 7.08% over the past twelve months [2] - The company was first invested in during Q4 2021, benefiting from its dominant share in the fast-growing Mexican imports segment of U.S. beer, supported by brands like Modelo, Corona, and Pacifico [3] - Despite the long-term strategic rationale remaining intact, the expansion of shelf space and distribution progressed more slowly than expected, and challenges in the Wine & Spirits segment delayed margin recovery [3] - As a result, the company was identified as the most appropriate candidate for sale to fund a new investment in Q1 2026 [3]