Diageo (NYSE:DEO) Shares Gap Up - Still a Buy?

Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO - Get Free Report)'s share price gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $108.31, but opened at $113.81. Diageo shares last traded at $114.04, with a volume of 222,158 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Diageo from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. UBS Group upgraded Diageo from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Diageo from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their target price on Diageo from $124.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $129.00.

Diageo Trading Down 1.2 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $115.90 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $124.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $62.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.65.

Diageo Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a $1.62 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. Diageo's payout ratio is 46.42%.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Citigroup Inc. raised its position in shares of Diageo by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 158,428 shares of the company's stock worth $22,234,000 after acquiring an additional 6,617 shares in the last quarter. Canoe Financial LP raised its position in shares of Diageo by 88,407.3% in the 4th quarter. Canoe Financial LP now owns 8,113,468 shares of the company's stock worth $1,031,465,000 after acquiring an additional 8,104,301 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in shares of Diageo by 32.8% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 65,894 shares of the company's stock worth $9,248,000 after acquiring an additional 16,285 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC raised its position in shares of Diageo by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 5,242,065 shares of the company's stock worth $735,671,000 after acquiring an additional 437,646 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Maia Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Diageo by 24.7% in the 4th quarter. Maia Wealth LLC now owns 13,112 shares of the company's stock worth $1,648,000 after acquiring an additional 2,593 shares in the last quarter. 8.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.