Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Stock Position Boosted by Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 11.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 37,718 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 3,964 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Diageo were worth $4,795,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in Diageo by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 30,059 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,821,000 after purchasing an additional 2,272 shares during the period. Grandfield & Dodd LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Diageo by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Grandfield & Dodd LLC now owns 247,930 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,519,000 after buying an additional 7,917 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Diageo in the fourth quarter valued at $485,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in Diageo by 21.5% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 28,443 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,616,000 after acquiring an additional 5,026 shares during the period. Finally, Norden Group LLC grew its holdings in Diageo by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. Norden Group LLC now owns 5,492 shares of the company’s stock worth $698,000 after acquiring an additional 372 shares during the period. 8.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Diageo from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. UBS Group raised Diageo from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on Diageo from $124.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock 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 given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $129.00.

Diageo Stock Down 0.9 %

DEO stock opened at $105.25 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.36, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.65. Diageo plc has a 52-week low of $104.98 and a 52-week high of $149.44. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $112.26 and its 200-day simple moving average is $122.33.

Diageo Announces Dividend

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

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.