Baxter Bros Inc. Sells 1,787 Shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO)

Baxter Bros Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 42.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 2,413 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,787 shares during the period. Baxter Bros Inc.’s holdings in Diageo were worth $307,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in shares of Diageo in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. CoreFirst Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of Diageo in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Eastern Bank lifted its position in Diageo by 107.8% in the fourth quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 241 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Modus Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Diageo during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Diageo in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Institutional investors own 8.97% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Diageo Price Performance

Shares of DEO stock opened at $106.32 on Tuesday. Diageo plc has a 52 week low of $105.23 and a 52 week high of $149.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $59.15 billion, a PE ratio of 15.52, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.65. 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 stock’s fifty day moving average is $112.45 and its 200-day moving average is $122.48.

Diageo Announces Dividend

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

Diageo 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.