Diageo (NYSE:DEO) Downgraded by HSBC to Hold

HSBC downgraded shares of Diageo (NYSE:DEO) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

Several other research firms also recently issued reports on DEO. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $124.00 price target on Diageo and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised Diageo from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Diageo in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Diageo in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $116.50.

Diageo Price Performance

Shares of DEO stock opened at $86.60 on Monday. Diageo has a 12-month low of $84.52 and a 12-month high of $116.69. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $91.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $95.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 1.60.

Institutional Trading of Diageo

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Diageo during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Arlington Trust Co LLC increased its stake in shares of Diageo by 3,885.7% in 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 last quarter. Spire Wealth Management raised its holdings 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 buying an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of Diageo by 94.7% during the 2nd quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 292 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Finally, New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Diageo in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.