Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the eleven analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $116.50.

DEO has been the topic of several recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Diageo in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $124.00 price objective on shares of Diageo and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of Diageo from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Diageo in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Diageo in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd.

Diageo Trading Up 4.4%

NYSE DEO opened at $97.21 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $89.07 and a 200-day moving average price of $96.49. Diageo has a 52 week low of $84.52 and a 52 week high of $116.69.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Diageo

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Independent Advisor Alliance bought a new position in shares of Diageo during the fourth quarter worth $315,000. World Investment Advisors lifted its stake in Diageo by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 48,643 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,146,000 after purchasing an additional 625 shares in the last quarter. ABC Arbitrage SA boosted its holdings in shares of Diageo by 33.7% during the 4th quarter. ABC Arbitrage SA now owns 560,383 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,344,000 after purchasing an additional 141,301 shares during the last quarter. Trek Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Diageo during the fourth quarter valued at about $211,000. Finally, Ballentine Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Diageo by 8.4% in the fourth quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 3,850 shares of the company’s stock worth $332,000 after purchasing an additional 299 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 8.97% of the company’s stock.

Diageo Company 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.