Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the eleven brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have assigned a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $116.50.

A number of research firms have weighed in on DEO. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Diageo in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $124.00 target price on Diageo and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating on shares of Diageo in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of Diageo from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Diageo

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in shares of Diageo in the fourth quarter valued at $202,000. Signaturefd LLC boosted its stake in Diageo by 33.2% during the second quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 5,261 shares of the company’s stock worth $530,000 after buying an additional 1,311 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its position in Diageo by 4.0% during the second quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 200,074 shares of the company’s stock valued at $20,176,000 after acquiring an additional 7,707 shares during the last quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Diageo in the second quarter valued at $624,000. Finally, Precision Wealth Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Diageo in the 2nd quarter worth about $313,000. 8.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Diageo Price Performance

Shares of Diageo stock opened at $92.01 on Thursday. Diageo has a 1 year low of $84.52 and a 1 year high of $118.50. The company has a 50-day moving average of $88.90 and a 200 day moving average of $96.55. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64.

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.