Northern Trust Corp Increases Position in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO)

Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO - Free Report) by 39.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 649,769 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 185,282 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp owned about 0.12% of Diageo worth $82,605,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. CoreFirst Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in Diageo in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Eastern Bank increased its position in shares of Diageo by 107.8% in the 4th quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 241 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Diageo in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Diageo during the 4th quarter worth $47,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group grew its stake in shares of Diageo by 116.9% during the fourth quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 384 shares of the company's stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 8.97% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DEO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Diageo from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Berenberg Bank assumed coverage on Diageo in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. They set a "buy" rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $129.00.

Diageo Stock Performance

Shares of DEO stock traded down $0.04 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $115.36. 621,314 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 934,096. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $109.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $116.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 1.60. Diageo plc has a 12-month low of $100.72 and a 12-month high of $144.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.60.

Diageo Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th were given a dividend of $1.62 per share. This represents a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. Diageo's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.42%.

Diageo Company Profile

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.