Short Interest in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Drops By 42.3%

Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO - Get Free Report) saw a significant drop in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 368,300 shares, a drop of 42.3% from the March 15th total of 638,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,200,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.3 days. Approximately 0.1% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Diageo Stock Performance

Diageo stock traded up $0.26 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $109.84. The stock had a trading volume of 643,076 shares, compared to its average volume of 925,634. Diageo has a fifty-two week low of $100.72 and a fifty-two week high of $144.27. The company has a market cap of $61.10 billion, a PE ratio of 16.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a 50-day moving average of $107.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of $118.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62.

Diageo Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This represents a yield of 3.8%. Diageo's dividend payout ratio is currently 46.42%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DEO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Diageo from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Berenberg Bank initiated coverage on shares of Diageo in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Diageo from $124.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $129.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Diageo

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT increased its stake in Diageo by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT now owns 3,383 shares of the company's stock valued at $430,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the period. Savant Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Diageo by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 1,864 shares of the company's stock worth $237,000 after buying an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Diageo by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 6,944 shares of the company's stock worth $883,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the period. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Diageo by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,867 shares of the company's stock valued at $237,000 after buying an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diversified Trust Co grew its position in Diageo by 5.6% in the fourth quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 1,855 shares of the company's stock valued at $236,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 8.97% of the company's stock.

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.