Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Shares Sold by EP Wealth Advisors LLC

EP Wealth Advisors LLC lessened its stake in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 29.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,799 shares of the company’s stock after selling 747 shares during the period. EP Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Diageo were worth $229,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Canoe Financial LP increased its holdings in Diageo by 88,407.3% in the 4th quarter. Canoe Financial LP now owns 8,113,468 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,031,465,000 after purchasing an additional 8,104,301 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Diageo by 11.7% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 37,718 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,795,000 after buying an additional 3,964 shares during the period. Maia Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Diageo by 24.7% in the fourth quarter. Maia Wealth LLC now owns 13,112 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,648,000 after acquiring an additional 2,593 shares in the last quarter. Aviso Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Diageo by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Aviso Financial Inc. now owns 242,637 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,846,000 after acquiring an additional 7,954 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tevis Investment Management grew its stake in shares of Diageo by 159.7% in the fourth quarter. Tevis Investment Management now owns 13,869 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,763,000 after acquiring an additional 8,528 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 8.97% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Diageo from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Berenberg Bank assumed coverage on shares of Diageo in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Diageo currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $129.00.

Diageo Stock Performance

NYSE:DEO opened at $112.26 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $62.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $109.05 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $115.85. Diageo plc has a 52 week low of $100.72 and a 52 week high of $144.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62.

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.