Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Shares Bought by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 899,660 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 15,363 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned approximately 0.16% of Diageo worth $113,429,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in Diageo by 2.2% in the second quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,106,473 shares of the company’s stock valued at $139,504,000 after acquiring an additional 23,435 shares in the last quarter. Angeles Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Diageo by 50.2% in the second quarter. Angeles Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,304 shares of the company’s stock valued at $669,000 after acquiring an additional 1,773 shares in the last quarter. Bcwm LLC boosted its stake in Diageo by 17.8% in the second quarter. Bcwm LLC now owns 62,851 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,924,000 after acquiring an additional 9,498 shares in the last quarter. Marble Harbor Investment Counsel LLC lifted its stake in shares of Diageo by 4.4% during the second quarter. Marble Harbor Investment Counsel LLC now owns 19,443 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,451,000 after buying an additional 825 shares during the period. Finally, Kennon Green & Company LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Diageo during the second quarter worth $224,000. 8.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Diageo Trading Up 1.9 %

Shares of Diageo stock opened at $135.58 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $129.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $135.20. Diageo plc has a 1 year low of $119.48 and a 1 year high of $161.64. The stock has a market cap of $75.36 billion, a PE ratio of 19.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 0.69.

Diageo Announces Dividend

The company 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 $1.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This represents a yield of 3.2%. Diageo’s payout ratio is 72.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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