Axxcess Wealth Management LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO)

Axxcess Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 3.7% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 5,413 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 192 shares during the quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Diageo were worth $688,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of DEO. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in shares of Diageo during the third quarter valued at $25,000. Eastern Bank boosted its position in Diageo by 107.8% in the 4th quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 241 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. Modus Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Diageo in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Diageo during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Diageo during the fourth quarter worth approximately $47,000. Institutional investors own 8.97% of the company’s stock.

Diageo Price Performance

Shares of DEO stock opened at $107.09 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $112.65 and its 200 day moving average is $122.73. Diageo plc has a 1-year low of $105.23 and a 1-year high of $149.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The company has a market cap of $59.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.63, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.65.

Diageo Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued 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 dividend payout ratio is currently 46.42%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on DEO. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. UBS Group upgraded Diageo from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Diageo from $124.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of 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 given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $129.00.

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.