Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) has been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the thirteen analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $116.50.

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on DEO. Argus upgraded shares of Diageo to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded shares of Diageo from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Diageo in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Diageo in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, HSBC cut Diageo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd.

Institutional Trading of Diageo

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in DEO. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Diageo in the second quarter worth about $26,000. Arlington Trust Co LLC increased its position in Diageo by 3,885.7% during the 3rd quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC now owns 279 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares during the period. New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Diageo in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Spire Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of Diageo by 123.6% in the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 322 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its position in shares of Diageo by 8,000.0% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 324 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 320 shares during the period. 8.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Diageo Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of DEO opened at $74.68 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $89.63 and a 200-day moving average price of $92.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 0.71. Diageo has a 12-month low of $74.46 and a 12-month high of $116.69.

Diageo Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 17th will be given a dividend of $0.80 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 17th. This represents a dividend yield of 207.0%.

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.