Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Shares Sold by Whittier Trust Co.

Whittier Trust Co. cut its holdings in shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 10.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,835 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,207 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co.’s holdings in Diageo were worth $1,377,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Canoe Financial LP raised its stake in Diageo by 88,407.3% during the 4th quarter. Canoe Financial LP now owns 8,113,468 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,031,465,000 after acquiring an additional 8,104,301 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC raised its stake in shares of Diageo by 9.1% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 5,242,065 shares of the company’s stock valued at $735,671,000 after purchasing an additional 437,646 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in Diageo by 13.4% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,254,393 shares of the company’s stock worth $176,042,000 after purchasing an additional 147,920 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Diageo by 25.9% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,116,994 shares of the company’s stock valued at $156,759,000 after buying an additional 229,946 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in Diageo by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 991,459 shares of the company’s stock valued at $139,141,000 after buying an additional 64,367 shares during the period. 8.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Diageo Trading Down 0.8 %

Diageo stock opened at $107.09 on Friday. Diageo plc has a 1 year low of $105.23 and a 1 year high of $149.44. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $112.65 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $122.73. The firm has a market cap of $59.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.63, a price-to-earnings-growth 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 Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

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.