Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the eleven ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have given a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $116.50.

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Diageo in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Diageo in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Zacks Research downgraded Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $124.00 price objective on shares of Diageo and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Diageo in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Diageo

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC raised its holdings in shares of Diageo by 3.0% in the second quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 3,287 shares of the company’s stock worth $331,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC boosted its stake in shares of Diageo by 3.5% during the third quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 3,110 shares of the company’s stock valued at $297,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Trust Co increased its position in Diageo by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Glenview Trust Co now owns 2,928 shares of the company’s stock worth $253,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Pavion Blue Capital LLC raised its stake in Diageo by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Pavion Blue Capital LLC now owns 26,367 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,659,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc. lifted its holdings in Diageo by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc. now owns 5,684 shares of the company’s stock valued at $542,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 8.97% of the company’s stock.

Diageo Price Performance

Shares of Diageo stock opened at $100.32 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $91.17 and a two-hundred day moving average of $96.02. Diageo has a 12-month low of $84.52 and a 12-month high of $116.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64.

About Diageo

Diageo plc is a global producer, marketer and distributor of alcoholic beverages, headquartered in London, England. The company was created through the 1997 merger of Guinness plc and Grand Metropolitan plc and is publicly traded on multiple exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange. Diageo operates a worldwide business, selling products in a broad range of markets across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Diageo’s core activities cover the production, marketing and sale of a diverse portfolio of spirits, beer and liqueurs.