Hutchinson Capital Management CA Buys 12,475 Shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO)

Hutchinson Capital Management CA lifted its stake in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 14.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 99,991 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 12,475 shares during the quarter. Diageo comprises 2.4% of Hutchinson Capital Management CA’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position. Hutchinson Capital Management CA’s holdings in Diageo were worth $12,712,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Diageo in the 4th quarter worth $240,000. Brandes Investment Partners LP bought a new position in shares of Diageo in the 4th quarter worth $553,000. Aviso Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of Diageo by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. Aviso Financial Inc. now owns 242,637 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,846,000 after acquiring an additional 7,954 shares in the last quarter. Madison Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Diageo during the 4th quarter worth $1,022,000. Finally, Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its stake in Diageo by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 94,734 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,044,000 after buying an additional 1,182 shares during the last quarter. 8.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Diageo Stock Down 0.4 %

Diageo stock opened at $107.55 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 1.60. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $114.26 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $123.52. The company has a market cap of $59.83 billion, a PE ratio of 15.70, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.65. Diageo plc has a fifty-two week low of $105.72 and a fifty-two week high of $149.44.

Diageo Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a dividend of $1.62 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a yield of 3.8%. Diageo’s payout ratio is presently 46.42%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DEO has been the topic of several research analyst reports. UBS Group upgraded Diageo from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on Diageo from $124.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Diageo from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $129.00.

About Diageo

Diageo plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production, marketing, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The company offers scotch, gin, vodka, rum, raki, liqueur, wine, tequila, Chinese white spirits, cachaça, and brandy, as well as beer, including cider and flavored malt beverages. It also provides Chinese, Canadian, Irish, American, and Indian-Made Foreign Liquor whiskies, as well as flavored malt beverages, ready to drink, and non-alcoholic products.