Diageo plc $DEO Shares Sold by Clarkston Capital Partners LLC

Clarkston Capital Partners LLC decreased its position in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 71.7% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 55,110 shares of the company’s stock after selling 139,574 shares during the period. Clarkston Capital Partners LLC’s holdings in Diageo were worth $5,259,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in DEO. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Diageo in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Arlington Trust Co LLC grew its stake in shares of Diageo by 3,885.7% in the third quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC now owns 279 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc grew its stake in shares of Diageo by 94.7% in the second quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 292 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Diageo during the third quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, HHM Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Diageo by 76.5% during the second quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 330 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 8.97% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. HSBC cut Diageo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Diageo in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Diageo in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised Diageo from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $116.50.

Diageo Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:DEO opened at $81.87 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $91.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is $94.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 0.71. Diageo plc has a 12-month low of $80.79 and a 12-month high of $116.69.

About Diageo

Diageo plc is a global producer, marketer and distributor of alcoholic beverages, headquartered in London, England. The company was created through the 1997 merger of Guinness plc and Grand Metropolitan plc and is publicly traded on multiple exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange. Diageo operates a worldwide business, selling products in a broad range of markets across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Diageo’s core activities cover the production, marketing and sale of a diverse portfolio of spirits, beer and liqueurs.