Pitcairn Co. Trims Stock Holdings in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO)

Pitcairn Co. lessened its stake in shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 13.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,290 shares of the company’s stock after selling 343 shares during the quarter. Pitcairn Co.’s holdings in Diageo were worth $291,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT grew its holdings in shares of Diageo by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT now owns 3,383 shares of the company’s stock worth $430,000 after buying an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Savant Capital LLC grew its stake in Diageo by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 1,864 shares of the company’s stock worth $237,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co raised its holdings in Diageo by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 1,855 shares of the company’s stock valued at $236,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC lifted its stake in shares of Diageo by 8.6% during the 4th quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 1,286 shares of the company’s stock worth $163,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Diageo by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,735 shares of the company’s stock worth $475,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 8.97% of the company’s stock.

Diageo Stock Down 3.5 %

DEO opened at $104.19 on Monday. Diageo plc has a 1 year low of $98.84 and a 1 year high of $144.28. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $110.12 and a 200 day moving average price of $120.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 1.60. The company has a market cap of $57.96 billion, a PE ratio of 15.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.63.

Diageo Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed 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 currently 46.42%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on DEO shares. TD Cowen increased their target price on Diageo from $124.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Diageo from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Diageo from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Berenberg Bank initiated coverage on shares of Diageo in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $129.00.

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.