Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Shares Sold by Financial Counselors Inc.

Financial Counselors Inc. lessened its holdings in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 42.3% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 1,720 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,259 shares during the period. Financial Counselors Inc.’s holdings in Diageo were worth $219,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in DEO. Canoe Financial LP lifted its position in shares of Diageo by 88,407.3% in the 4th quarter. Canoe Financial LP now owns 8,113,468 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,031,465,000 after buying an additional 8,104,301 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Diageo during the fourth quarter worth about $123,892,000. ABC Arbitrage SA bought a new position in Diageo in the fourth quarter worth about $37,777,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in Diageo by 25.9% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,116,994 shares of the company’s stock valued at $156,759,000 after acquiring an additional 229,946 shares during the period. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Diageo by 3,073.4% during the 4th quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 209,510 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,635,000 after purchasing an additional 202,908 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 8.97% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on DEO shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Diageo from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. UBS Group upgraded shares of Diageo from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Diageo from $124.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Diageo presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $129.00.

Diageo Trading Down 0.3 %

NYSE:DEO opened at $105.25 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $58.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.36, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 1.60. Diageo plc has a 1 year low of $104.80 and a 1 year high of $149.24. The business has a fifty day moving average of $111.55 and a 200-day moving average of $121.90.

Diageo Dividend Announcement

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

Diageo Profile

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.