5,715 Diageo plc $DEO Shares Bought by Equity Investment Corp

Equity Investment Corp increased its holdings in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 0.3% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,673,224 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,715 shares during the quarter. Diageo accounts for 2.0% of Equity Investment Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position. Equity Investment Corp’s holdings in Diageo were worth $143,228,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in DEO. Mather Group LLC. increased its holdings in Diageo by 794.4% during the third quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 322 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 286 shares during the last quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC bought a new position in Diageo in the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Diageo during the 1st quarter worth $34,000. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Diageo by 28.1% during the 3rd quarter. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 598 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Diageo during the 1st quarter worth $54,000. 8.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Diageo Stock Up 0.2%

Diageo stock opened at $101.49 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $90.36 and a 200 day moving average of $86.20. Diageo plc has a 12-month low of $72.45 and a 12-month high of $102.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 0.62.

Diageo Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 16th will be given a $1.20 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 252.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 16th.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on DEO shares. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Diageo from $76.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 26th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Diageo in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Barclays reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Diageo in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Zacks Research upgraded Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Diageo in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $99.75.

Diageo Profile

Diageo plc is a global beverage company that produces and markets alcoholic drinks, including spirits, beer and ready-to-drink products. Its portfolio includes brands such as Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, Baileys, Tanqueray and Captain Morgan. The company sells its products in markets around the world through a combination of owned operations, distributors and other commercial partners. Its offerings span categories including Scotch whisky, vodka, gin, rum, tequila, liqueurs and stout. Diageo was formed in 1997 through the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan.