Virtu Financial LLC Boosts Stake in Diageo plc $DEO

Virtu Financial LLC increased its holdings in shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 90.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 46,086 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 21,853 shares during the quarter. Virtu Financial LLC’s holdings in Diageo were worth $3,976,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Integrated Advisors Network LLC raised its position in Diageo by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 3,110 shares of the company’s stock worth $297,000 after buying an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Trust Co lifted its stake in Diageo by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Glenview Trust Co now owns 2,928 shares of the company’s stock valued at $253,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the period. Mission Wealth Management LP boosted its holdings in shares of Diageo by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 2,992 shares of the company’s stock valued at $258,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares during the last quarter. Wynn Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Diageo by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Wynn Capital LLC now owns 4,994 shares of the company’s stock valued at $431,000 after acquiring an additional 122 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bridgewater Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Diageo by 4.9% in the third quarter. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. now owns 2,702 shares of the company’s stock worth $236,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the period. 8.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DEO has been the subject of several research reports. Argus raised shares of Diageo to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. HSBC downgraded shares of Diageo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Loop Capital set a $99.00 target price on shares of Diageo in a research note on Thursday. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of Diageo from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Diageo has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $110.67.

Diageo Price Performance

DEO opened at $80.39 on Friday. Diageo plc has a 1-year low of $72.45 and a 1-year high of $116.41. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $81.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $84.88. 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 Profile

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.