Monaco Asset Management SAM Invests $15.05 Million in Diageo plc $DEO

Monaco Asset Management SAM bought a new position in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 174,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,054,000. Diageo makes up about 2.6% of Monaco Asset Management SAM’s holdings, making the stock its 6th largest position.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Integrated Advisors Network LLC lifted its stake in shares of Diageo by 3.5% in the third quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 3,110 shares of the company’s stock worth $297,000 after buying an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Glenview Trust Co lifted its stake in shares of Diageo by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. Glenview Trust Co now owns 2,928 shares of the company’s stock worth $253,000 after buying an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP lifted its stake in shares of Diageo by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 2,992 shares of the company’s stock worth $258,000 after buying an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Wynn Capital LLC lifted its position in Diageo by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Wynn Capital LLC now owns 4,994 shares of the company’s stock valued at $431,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the period. Finally, Bridgewater Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Diageo by 4.9% during the third quarter. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. now owns 2,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $236,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 8.97% of the company’s stock.

Diageo Stock Up 0.2%

DEO opened at $82.61 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. Diageo plc has a 1-year low of $72.45 and a 1-year high of $116.41. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $79.54 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $86.10.

Diageo Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 17th will be given a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 17th. This represents a yield of 195.0%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Argus upgraded shares of Diageo to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Diageo in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Diageo from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, HSBC downgraded shares of Diageo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $116.50.

Diageo Company Profile

Diageo plc is a global producer, marketer and distributor of alcoholic beverages, headquartered in London, England. The company was created through the 1997 merger of Guinness plc and Grand Metropolitan plc and is publicly traded on multiple exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange. Diageo operates a worldwide business, selling products in a broad range of markets across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Diageo’s core activities cover the production, marketing and sale of a diverse portfolio of spirits, beer and liqueurs.