World Investment Advisors Has $1.40 Million Stock Holdings in Diageo plc $DEO

World Investment Advisors lessened its position in shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 61.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,792 shares of the company’s stock after selling 29,851 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors’ holdings in Diageo were worth $1,399,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in DEO. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in Diageo by 428.7% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 2,173,047 shares of the company’s stock valued at $187,469,000 after purchasing an additional 1,762,027 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in shares of Diageo by 32.4% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,947,245 shares of the company’s stock worth $167,989,000 after purchasing an additional 476,979 shares during the period. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd raised its position in shares of Diageo by 12.4% in the fourth quarter. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd now owns 1,737,346 shares of the company’s stock valued at $149,881,000 after buying an additional 191,216 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of Diageo by 48.5% in the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 1,701,878 shares of the company’s stock valued at $162,410,000 after buying an additional 555,509 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Markel Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Diageo by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 1,371,708 shares of the company’s stock valued at $118,337,000 after buying an additional 5,000 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 8.97% of the company’s stock.

Diageo Price Performance

Diageo stock opened at $82.87 on Wednesday. Diageo plc has a 52-week low of $72.45 and a 52-week high of $116.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 1.60. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $81.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $84.21.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently issued reports on DEO shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Diageo in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Argus upgraded Diageo to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. BNP Paribas Exane raised Diageo from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Zacks Research raised Diageo from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $106.25.

About Diageo

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.