Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twelve research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $106.25.

A number of research firms recently commented on DEO. Loop Capital set a $99.00 price objective on Diageo in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Diageo in a report on Friday, July 17th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Diageo in a report on Monday, August 10th.

Diageo Trading Up 0.0%

NYSE DEO opened at $95.48 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $84.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $84.06. 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 has a 12 month low of $72.45 and a 12 month high of $116.41.

Diageo Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 16th will be given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 16th. This represents a dividend yield of 252.0%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Diageo

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Diageo in the first quarter valued at $34,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Diageo during the 4th quarter worth about $55,000. MCF Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Diageo by 2,776.0% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 719 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 694 shares during the period. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Diageo in the 1st quarter worth about $54,000. Finally, Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new position in shares of Diageo in the 4th quarter worth about $69,000. 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.