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

Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) has been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the thirteen ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have assigned a hold recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $106.25.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. BNP Paribas Exane raised Diageo from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Diageo in a report on Monday, April 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. TD Cowen raised shares of Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the company from $88.00 to $93.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Diageo to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th.

Diageo Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of Diageo stock opened at $82.28 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $81.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $84.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. Diageo has a 1-year low of $72.45 and a 1-year high of $116.41.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Diageo

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Causeway Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Diageo by 8.4% during the third quarter. Causeway Capital Management LLC now owns 466,866 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,553,000 after buying an additional 36,156 shares in the last quarter. Third View Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Diageo in the fourth quarter worth about $1,111,000. First Eagle Investment Management LLC raised its position in Diageo by 90.4% in the third quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 132,978 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,690,000 after acquiring an additional 63,119 shares in the last quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald L. P. acquired a new stake in Diageo in the 3rd quarter valued at about $3,328,000. Finally, Great Hill Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Diageo by 110.0% in the 4th quarter. Great Hill Capital LLC now owns 69,460 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,992,000 after acquiring an additional 36,391 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 8.97% of the company’s stock.

About Diageo

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.