St. James Investment Company LLC Invests $18.09 Million in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO)

St. James Investment Company LLC purchased a new position in shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 142,285 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,089,000. Diageo comprises approximately 3.1% of St. James Investment Company LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in Diageo during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. CoreFirst Bank & Trust bought a new position in Diageo during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Eastern Bank boosted its holdings 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 bought a new stake in Diageo during the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Diageo during the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. 8.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DEO has been the subject of several research reports. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Diageo from $124.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. UBS Group upgraded Diageo from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Diageo from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $129.00.

Diageo Stock Performance

Shares of DEO stock opened at $105.25 on Monday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $111.55 and a 200 day simple moving average of $121.85. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $58.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.65. Diageo plc has a 12-month low of $103.78 and a 12-month high of $149.24.

Diageo Announces Dividend

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

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.