Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO - Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest in May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totalling 760,500 shares, a growth of 54.1% from the April 30th total of 493,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,060,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.7 days. Approximately 0.1% of the company's shares are short sold.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "underweight" rating on shares of Diageo in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Diageo from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Berenberg Bank assumed coverage on shares of Diageo in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Diageo presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $129.00.

Diageo Trading Down 0.9%

DEO traded down $0.99 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $107.68. 737,087 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 947,424. The firm has a market capitalization of $59.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $109.93 and a 200 day moving average of $114.65. Diageo has a 12-month low of $100.72 and a 12-month high of $142.73.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Diageo

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DEO. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC boosted its position in Diageo by 234.4% during the 4th quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 2,600,702 shares of the company's stock valued at $330,627,000 after buying an additional 1,822,994 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in shares of Diageo by 1,181.5% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,406,004 shares of the company's stock worth $178,745,000 after purchasing an additional 1,296,285 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Diageo in the 4th quarter worth about $123,892,000. FMR LLC lifted its position in shares of Diageo by 10.9% in the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 5,813,938 shares of the company's stock worth $739,126,000 after purchasing an additional 571,873 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in shares of Diageo by 1,544.5% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 396,676 shares of the company's stock worth $41,568,000 after purchasing an additional 372,555 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.