Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Shares Sold by GHP Investment Advisors Inc.

GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 18.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 817 shares of the company’s stock after selling 188 shares during the quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Diageo were worth $115,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. First Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of Diageo during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $327,000. Benedict Financial Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Diageo by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Benedict Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 25,972 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,645,000 after acquiring an additional 498 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Diageo by 5.6% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 118,366 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,612,000 after acquiring an additional 6,321 shares in the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Diageo by 25.2% in the 3rd quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 3,150 shares of the company’s stock worth $442,000 after purchasing an additional 634 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of Diageo in the 3rd quarter valued at about $338,000. 8.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Diageo Stock Performance

Shares of DEO stock opened at $133.37 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $74.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.00, a PEG ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 0.69. The business has a 50 day moving average of $134.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $133.37. Diageo plc has a 52 week low of $119.48 and a 52 week high of $161.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62.

Diageo Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 17th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th were given a dividend of $1.62 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 30th. This represents a yield of 3.2%. Diageo’s dividend payout ratio is currently 71.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Bank of America upgraded Diageo from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Diageo from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, July 12th. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Diageo from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of Diageo from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently 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.