Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Stake Raised by Blair William & Co. IL

Blair William & Co. IL increased its holdings in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 21.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 49,173 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 8,610 shares during the quarter. Blair William & Co. IL’s holdings in Diageo were worth $6,200,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in DEO. Clearbridge Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of Diageo by 7.0% in the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 2,351,654 shares of the company’s stock worth $349,785,000 after purchasing an additional 154,497 shares in the last quarter. Markel Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Diageo by 0.5% in the second quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 1,366,708 shares of the company’s stock worth $172,315,000 after purchasing an additional 6,300 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Diageo by 7.1% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,127,576 shares of the company’s stock valued at $142,165,000 after buying an additional 74,745 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in Diageo by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,106,473 shares of the company’s stock valued at $139,504,000 after buying an additional 23,435 shares during the period. Finally, Confluence Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Diageo by 10.5% in the 2nd quarter. Confluence Investment Management LLC now owns 931,740 shares of the company’s stock worth $117,474,000 after acquiring an additional 88,159 shares during the period. 8.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Diageo Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE DEO opened at $133.03 on Friday. Diageo plc has a 52-week low of $119.48 and a 52-week high of $161.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $73.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.28, a PEG ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $129.28 and its 200 day simple moving average is $135.47.

Diageo Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.62 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This represents a yield of 3.2%. Diageo’s payout ratio is presently 72.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on DEO shares. Royal Bank of Canada raised Diageo from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. Citigroup raised Diageo from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Diageo from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of Diageo from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, September 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold”.

About Diageo

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.