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

Shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) have earned an average rating of “Hold” from the twelve analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $116.50.

DEO has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Diageo in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Diageo from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of Diageo from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Diageo to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th.

Diageo Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE DEO opened at $79.42 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. Diageo has a 52 week low of $72.45 and a 52 week high of $116.41. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $79.64 and a 200 day moving average price of $85.97.

Diageo Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 17th will be given a dividend of $0.80 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 17th. This represents a yield of 195.0%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Diageo

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DEO. Spire Wealth Management raised its position in Diageo by 123.6% during the fourth quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 322 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its holdings in shares of Diageo by 8,000.0% during the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 324 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 320 shares in the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Diageo during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Texas Capital Bancshares Inc TX purchased a new stake in shares of Diageo during the third quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Diageo during the first quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 8.97% of the company’s stock.

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.