Gamco Investors INC. ET AL Purchases 17,241 Shares of Diageo plc $DEO

Key Points

• Gamco Investors increased its stake in Diageo by 10.2% in the first quarter, buying 17,241 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 186,176 shares valued at about $13.9 million.
• Other institutional investors also adjusted positions in DEO, and overall institutional ownership now stands at 8.97% of the stock.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: Diageo has a consensus Hold rating, though recent moves included upgrades from Deutsche Bank and TD Cowen, with a consensus price target of $106.25.

Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lifted its position in shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO - Free Report) by 10.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 186,176 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 17,241 shares during the quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL's holdings in Diageo were worth $13,861,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of DEO. Spire Wealth Management increased its stake in Diageo by 123.6% during the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 322 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its holdings in Diageo by 8,000.0% during the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 324 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 320 shares during the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Diageo in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Diageo in the first quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Q Fund Management Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Diageo during the fourth quarter valued at about $43,000. 8.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Diageo Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of DEO stock opened at $83.12 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $82.22 and a 200-day moving average of $83.88. Diageo plc has a one year low of $72.45 and a one year high of $116.41.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on DEO shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Diageo from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Diageo in a research report on Friday, July 17th. TD Cowen upgraded Diageo from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $88.00 to $93.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Loop Capital set a $99.00 price objective on Diageo in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus 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.

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