Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Short Interest Down 28.3% in February

Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest during the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 832,200 shares, a decrease of 28.3% from the January 31st total of 1,160,000 shares. Currently, 0.2% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 1,170,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.7 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Diageo

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of DEO. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT raised its position in Diageo by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT now owns 3,383 shares of the company’s stock valued at $430,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Savant Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Diageo by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 1,864 shares of the company’s stock valued at $237,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the period. GeoWealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Diageo by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 6,944 shares of the company’s stock valued at $883,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the period. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in Diageo by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,867 shares of the company’s stock valued at $237,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Finally, Diversified Trust Co raised its stake in shares of Diageo by 5.6% in the fourth quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 1,855 shares of the company’s stock worth $236,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. 8.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Diageo Price Performance

Shares of DEO traded up $5.81 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $114.12. 1,211,265 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,088,028. The business has a 50-day moving average of $116.69 and a 200 day moving average of $124.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $63.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.66, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.66. Diageo has a one year low of $105.72 and a one year high of $151.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62.

Diageo Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on DEO shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Diageo from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. UBS Group raised Diageo from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. TD Cowen raised 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. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. One equities 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $129.00.

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.