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

Shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the thirteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $106.25.

DEO has been the subject of a number of research reports. Zacks Research raised Diageo from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Loop Capital set a $99.00 target price on Diageo in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. HSBC cut Diageo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. TD Cowen cut Diageo from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $93.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Friday. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane raised Diageo from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th.

Diageo Price Performance

NYSE DEO opened at $83.48 on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $81.64 and a 200 day simple moving average of $84.55. Diageo has a 52-week low of $72.45 and a 52-week high of $116.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 0.71.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Diageo

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in DEO. Spire Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of Diageo by 123.6% during the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 322 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its stake in shares of Diageo by 8,000.0% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 324 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 320 shares in the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Diageo during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Texas Capital Bancshares Inc TX bought a new position in shares of Diageo during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Diageo during the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. 8.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.