Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Shares Purchased by Bank of Montreal Can

Bank of Montreal Can boosted its stake in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 1,034.5% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 799,652 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 729,166 shares during the quarter. Bank of Montreal Can’s holdings in Diageo were worth $104,443,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado increased its holdings in Diageo by 4,665.2% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 482,713 shares of the company’s stock valued at $70,312,000 after purchasing an additional 472,583 shares in the last quarter. Beacon Financial Group acquired a new stake in shares of Diageo during the fourth quarter valued at about $296,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in shares of Diageo by 56.7% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 677,478 shares of the company’s stock valued at $98,681,000 after acquiring an additional 245,255 shares in the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Diageo by 16.4% during the first quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,185 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,069,000 after acquiring an additional 1,011 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers grew its stake in shares of Diageo by 461.4% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 70,630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,506,000 after acquiring an additional 58,048 shares in the last quarter. 8.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Diageo Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE DEO opened at $136.23 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $129.54 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $135.11. Diageo plc has a 52-week low of $119.48 and a 52-week high of $161.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $75.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.74, a P/E/G ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 0.69.

Diageo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a $1.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This represents a yield of 3.2%. Diageo’s dividend payout ratio is currently 72.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on DEO. Citigroup upgraded Diageo from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 3rd. Bank of America upgraded Diageo from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Diageo from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Diageo from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus 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.