Mediolanum International Funds Ltd Acquires New Shares in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO)

Mediolanum International Funds Ltd bought a new stake in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 178,105 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $24,995,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Triad Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Diageo during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Diageo during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Concord Wealth Partners bought a new position in shares of Diageo during the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Beacon Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Diageo by 777.3% during the first quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 193 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC grew its position in Diageo by 1,395.0% in the 3rd quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 299 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 8.97% of the company's stock.

Diageo Stock Performance

Shares of DEO traded down $1.16 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $133.28. The stock had a trading volume of 261,438 shares, compared to its average volume of 758,703. Diageo plc has a 52 week low of $119.48 and a 52 week high of $161.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $133.93 and a 200-day moving average price of $133.62. The firm has a market cap of $74.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.98, a PEG ratio of 3.77 and a beta of 0.69.

Diageo Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th were issued a dividend of $1.62 per share. This represents a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. Diageo's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 71.37%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on DEO. Bank of America upgraded Diageo from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Royal Bank of Canada raised Diageo from an "underperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Diageo from a "neutral" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, July 12th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of Diageo from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Diageo has an average rating of "Hold".

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.